According to news reports, more than 500 people are launching a class action against the Australian federal government over the 2007 equine flu outbreak which devastated Australian horse industries. Lawyers for those affected by the outbreak say the government failed to implement quarantine and biosecurity measures that would have prevented the disease from infecting horses in Australia.
Influenza virus lawsuit
Failure to have basic measures in place to prevent a major outbreak of the horse flu caused hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and job losses.
© 2012 by Cybercobra
Law firm Maurice Blackburn announced on Thursday it would lodge a class action in the Federal Court in NSW "within months".
Lawyers claim the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is accountable for the substantial losses suffered by horse industries after the disease sidestepped Australian quarantine and then halted horse movements across the eastern seaboard between August 2007 and January 2008.
"The failure by the AQIS to have even basic measures in place to prevent a major outbreak of the disease caused hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and job losses," Damian Scattini of Maurice Blackburn said in a statement.
"This happened at the worst possible time of the year too, during breeding season and in the lead-up to the spring racing carnival, preventing the movement of horses across the country."
The class action will be open to eligible individuals and businesses who suffered economic loss as a result of the outbreak.