Asbestos news
03/01/2008

Leading mesothelioma compensation campaigner dies

Bertie Banton, the notable Australian campaigner for mesothelioma compensation, has died of the disease at the age of 61.

He had become extremely well-known for his efforts in trying to assist others in gaining asbestos compensation; efforts which succeeded in the setting up of a $4bn compensation fund.

He had come into contact with asbestos in the course of his work for James Hardie, a multinational company which produced building materials, and was diagnosed with the lung disease asbestosis in 1999.

However, he managed to battle the damage asbestos fibres had done to his lungs until 2007, when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer. Shortly before his death, he received a hard-won mesothelioma compensation payout, after having also succeeded in his asbestosis compensation claim in 2000.

His personal injury lawyer said: "I think it does set a precedent in that he was the first person to come back for further damages. It was a relief to finish it in [his] lifetimeThat was a relief for everybody."

As well as fighting for sufferers' rights to mesothelioma compensation, he also recently succeeded in a campaigned for their access to a drug that could help the condition.

He sadly died at home on 27th November 2007, midway through what is Asbestos Awareness Week in Australia. He was given a state funeral, which was attended by thousands of mourners, as well as the new Australian prime minister.

At the funeral, the PM paid tribute to him, saying: "Bernie Banton was a great Australian hero. A hero in an age when we had become so cynical that we didn't believe there could be heroes. He was an Australian hero with an extraordinary heart who lived an extraordinary life."