Rome Court recognizes occupational lung cancer link in COTRAL mechanic case

The Rome Court of Appeal has issued a definitive ruling recognizing that a former COTRAL mechanic died from a professional illness caused by asbestos exposure. The ruling awards 200,000 euros to the man's widow after a decade-long legal battle.

The deceased worked for 24 years, from 1976 to 2000, maintaining vehicles on the Rome–Viterbo line. During this time, he frequently handled mechanical components such as brakes and gaskets that contained asbestos, releasing fibers into the workshop air. He died of neuroendocrine lung carcinoma in 2016.

The widow had previously faced denials from INAIL and an unfavorable ruling from the Viterbo Tribunal. Represented by Ezio Bonanni, president of the National Asbestos Observatory, she successfully appealed the decision, establishing the professional origin of the disease.