VICTORIA, Australia — An Australian trucker has won the right to sue his former employer for not warning him over-exposure to sunlight causes skin cancer.

According to 71-year-old Eric Reader’s lawyer Gary Taylor, the ruling “…puts employers on notice that sun protection was not just a worker’s responsibility.”

The news comes courtesy of an Australian Associated Press report, which also recounts how Reeder, of Dandenong, claimed he got skin cancer while delivering bricks for Boral Resources from 1964 to 1999.

Reeder claims he has had about 30 melanomas removed every two months since and is afraid of dying of skin cancer.
County Court Judge Len Ostrowski ruled Mr. Reeder suffered “serious injury” and could sue his former employer for personal injury damages.

Mr. Reeder welcomed the decision.

Taylor said he believed the ruling was a first. But he said he doubted it would lead to a flood of skin cancer-related litigation.

Mr. Reeder was given 30 days to issue proceedings against Boral, but hoped to come to an out-of-court settlement instead, said his lawyer.

According to the AAP report, Boral has yet to issue comment on the ruling.

– With files from AAP