Justice on Wednesday condemned the State to compensate, for the prejudice of anxiety linked to exposure to asbestos, 32 former employees of the Normed shipyards in Dunkirk (North) before the first regulations of 1977.
These former employees of the Société des Chantiers du Nord et de la Méditerranée, in good health "for the moment", should receive an average of 2,000 euros, their lawyer, Me Frédéric Quinquis, said Thursday, who is awaiting judgments for about 150 others. applicants.
Three other people, who worked after 1977 on these sites where asbestos was used for thermal insulation of boats and to prevent the risk of fire, were dismissed.
In the 1960s, the dangers were already known
In one of the favorable judgments dated April 28, the Lille administrative court considers that the State has committed a "fault such as to engage its responsibility" by not having taken measures, in the 1960s, to avoid or limit the already known dangers associated with exposure to asbestos.
The judge also recognizes that the State failed in its role of control, after 1977 and until the disappearance of the company at the end of the 1980s, by not sending the labor inspectorate to ensure compliance with regulations, but considers that this absence can only be "at fault after a certain period".
Possible compensation for all Normed alumni
“The court followed the Council of State in its decision of December 18, 2020. It takes a
certain time
for the fault to result in a causal link with the damage.
But how long do you have to wait?
», Regrets Me Quinquis.
The ministry argued the statute of limitations, which the court rejected, in particular because a 2006 criminal complaint "is still being investigated".
Tuesday, investigating judges from the public health pole of the Paris judicial court signed a dismissal in this case, but associations had to appeal.
"This leads us to believe that all the former Normed employees who worked on the site before October 20, 1977 are still eligible to file a claim for compensation, which will nevertheless be low," says Me Quinquis.