Dying Queensland man wins record $1.9m after developing asbestosis

Key points

• A Mackay grandfather dying from asbestosis has been awarded nearly $1.9 million, Australia's largest compensation payment on record. Robin Smith developed the disease after exposure to asbestos while working as a plumber at the Mackay Harbour Board from the mid-1960s.
• The court found he was exposed to asbestos cement pipes at the port between 1981 and the mid-1990s. About $800,000 of the award was for pain and suffering.
• Experts told the court his condition is progressive, irreversible and fatal, with a life expectancy of about five to six years.