A sickened Dutch man, who claims his parents used asbestos waste products when he was a child to build a path near the family home, has sued a local cement manufacturer for damages.

According to an article in Dutch News, Harry Jansman has received compensation of 35,000 Euros in a suit against Eternit, a local cement company that, prior to the 1980s, used asbestos in its products.

Jansman was exposed to the waste materials in 1967 when his parents, like many others in his neighborhood, used the products to construct a walkway in front of their home. Jansman is now seriously ill with mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer.

The article points out that Jansman is the first private individual to be awarded damages for an asbestos-related illness though neither he nor his parents worked at the Eternit factory. Attorney Bob Ruers hopes that the Jansman suit will open the door for others who have been affected in the same manner. He expects a considerable number of similar claims to surface because waste-containing asbestos was commonly used to build paths during that period.

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