Catania court links asbestos exposure to mesothelioma death

The Court of Catania has ruled that asbestos exposure played a “determinative co-causal role” in the death of a 72-year-old man from Catania, who died of pleural mesothelioma in December 2019.

The deceased had experienced dual exposure to the carcinogen: first during his military service in the Army as a radio operator, and subsequently during nearly 40 years of service with the Catania Fire Department (Vigili del Fuoco), where he worked in vehicle maintenance and repair.

The court recognized the man as a victim of duty and ordered both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior to jointly pay benefits to his widow. However, both ministries have appealed the ruling (sentence no. 1935/2026), contesting the legal connection between the service-related exposure and the onset of the disease.