[Liability in occupational asbestosis and its harmful sequelae]

A total of 139 cases of occupational asbestosis were registered in companies working with asbestosis in Croatia between the years 1985 and 1994. In the period from 1992 to 1994 thirty-five diseased workers sued in court for compensation of damage. In all suits and at all levels, the employer was judged to be responsible for the damage. Questioning the exclusiveness of responsibility, or at least co-responsibility for the other parties involved in the structure of occupational use of asbestos, the authors ascertained, in all the 35 cases of occupational asbestosis from the sample, that the full responsibility lay with the third party - the State - as representing the unity of the legal, executive and judicious powers.