New Zealanders that have been affected by asbestos products manufactured and sold by Australian companies are waiting to find out whether they may be eligible to sue the companies responsible for their asbestos-related afflictions.

This follows a court case initiated by a New Zealander that hopes to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from Amaca, a subsidiary of Australian manufacturer James Hardie. If the courts decide that New Zealanders can sue Australian companies for asbestos-related diseases then Amaca will face a hefty payout. If the case is successful, it opens the doors to many other New Zealander to sue Aussie companies and manufacturers.

Amaca is already reported to have admitted that it supplied a range of asbestos-related materials and products to New Zealand in the past, and without adequate warning about the dangers of asbestos. This put many New Zealanders at risk, with many contracting mesothelioma and related diseases from the products supplied from Amaca.

The case of the New Zealand man, who was diagnosed with asbestosis in 2001, will be heard during the next month or so, and if it is successful many other tradesmen that obliviously used and were affected by the products supplied by Australian companies are likely to commence compensation proceedings.