THE TAR OF LAZIO SENTENCED THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE TO COMPENSATE THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF A NAVY OFFICER WHO DIED DUE TO PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS FIBERS AND DUST DURING HIS SERVICE
«Finally, after ten long years of judgment – comments the lawyer. Ezio Bonanni, civil defender -, the court has issued yet another sentence against the Defense for the illness and death of a soldier due to the high and unprevented exposure to asbestos fibers and dust in naval units and arsenal bases”.
The Regional Administrative Court of Lazio has issued a very important sentence, condemning the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation amounting to 320 thousand euros. This sum is intended for the family of the Captain of the Naval Engineers, Francesco Paolo Sorgente, who passed away prematurely at the age of just 65 due to pleural mesothelioma, a lethal disease linked to prolonged exposure to asbestos.
Captain Sorgente served for 34 years in the Navyduring which he was employed in various naval units, including the ships Freccia, Saetta and Cavezzale, as well as the submarines Cappellini, Toti, Morosini and Torricelli. Furthermore, it operated in various arsenal bases, places where the risks of exposure to asbestos and other carcinogenic substances were high and constant.
Granted the status of victim of duty
Originally from Vasto, in the province of Chieti, Captain Sorgente received the diagnosis of mesothelioma in the spring of 2005. Unfortunately, the disease proved fatal, leading to his death in January 2009, right in his hometown. Only later was this pathology officially recognized as being due to service. Furthermore, in 2011, his condition was granted the status of victim of duty, a further recognition of the serious negligence he suffered.
The family requested compensation for the damage suffered
The Captain’s family, represented by the lawyer Ezio Bonannipresident ofNational Asbestos Observatoryhas undertaken a legal battle to obtain justice. Holding the Ministry of Defense responsible for the soldier’s exposure to highly toxic substances, without providing adequate information on the risks or the necessary tools for prevention and individual protection, the family requested compensation for the damages suffered. The serious shortcomings reported to the ministry also include the omission of health surveillance and the absence of adequate technical measures to mitigate the dangers of asbestos.
The correlation between exposure to asbestos and lethal pathology has been confirmed
The appeal to the TAR of Lazio was based on medico-legal checks. These, in fact, confirmed the correlation between exposure to asbestos and the disease contracted by the Captain. The judges accepted the applicants’ requests. They therefore ordered compensation for the damage “hereditary right” in favor of the widow and three children of the naval officer. The court, therefore, recognized the serious institutional faults and offered a significant, albeit belated, act of justice.
“I will never tire of hoping that these compensations will take place without resorting to the courts”, concludes Bonanni.