Widow to be compensated

A tribunal has found that the widow of a man who served with the Royal Australian Navy is entitled to compensation because the navy was partly responsible for his tobacco smoking, which was said to have led to his death in 2015, according to a story by Andrew Taylor for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Christopher Cooper began smoking shortly after he enlisted in the navy aged 15.

He lodged a claim for compensation in 2014, shortly before his death, stating his illnesses had been caused by smoking and exposure to passive smoking within a ship environment during his 23 years of military service.

His widow Bronwyn Cooper is entitled to compensation following the decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal that her husband’s smoking habit was caused by his military service.

‘The tribunal is satisfied that the deceased’s employment with the Royal Australian Navy did contribute to a significant degree to his smoking,’ it said.