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ARTICLE · 04 FEBRUARY 2026

Landmark $2.4m silicosis award for tunnel worker

Stacks Law Firm
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Landmark case shows that tribunal can deliver reasonable compensation for the disastrous health effects of workplace exposure to deadly airborne silica.

AustraliaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Chris Clarke
Chris Clarke
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A recent landmark judgment by the Dust Diseases Tribunal has awarded a Sydney tunnel worker $2.4 million compensation after he contracted silicosis and fibrosis from damaging airborne hazards.

Silicosis diagnosis after 27 years of working in tunnels

The award is the highest ever received in Australia for a dust-related injury - $860,000 in general damages, $11,000 for loss of expectation of life, and $1.54 million for the loss of earning capacity for the 53-year-old.

In his judgment, Judge Andrew Scotting concluded that without a lung transplant, the tunnel worker would be incapacitated for work by 65, and reach respiratory failure by 70. (Please see Bennett v Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer and Ors [2025] NSWDDT 5.)

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