Victims of asbestos exposure have welcomed a recent amendment to a compensation law in Victoria, Australia. The earlier law said people who were not at work when they were exposed to asbestos had a cap on claims for lost earnings. But now asbestos victims are exempt from that legislation.

"Lots of people get asbestos-related diseases outside the workplace such as home renovations or through exposure to their spouses or parents bringing home asbestos on their clothing. It means that the number of people affected by the cap is quite large,' says lawyer Suzanne Sandford of the law firm Slater and Gordon, which represents many asbestos victims.

Sandford's firm said the recent changes in legislation would make a large difference to asbestos victims and their families.