Robert Houston, facing an untimely death from asbestosis, finds the courage to pursue a civil case against his former employers. To the chagrin of Nicola Blyth, his young, ambitious lawyer, Robert rejects an out-of-court settlement offer. As the case becomes ever more protracted, Robert's suspicions are aroused with the sudden arrival of Robert Junior, his only son and a compulsive gambler, who soon takes up his father's quest for justice.