Mesothelioma has long been considered an industrial disease; patients diagnosed with mesothelioma often have a background in mining, shipbuilding, fuel refineries and other large-scale works. This is due to the cancer’s cause, asbestos, being used in such industries for its fire resistance, durability and insulating qualities. Industrial employees were often in direct contact with raw asbestos, greatly heightening their chances of fiber inhalation that leads to mesothelioma.
However, the amount of mesothelioma cases that have come out of direct asbestos contact could be greatly surpassed by slower, subtler exposure. Through the last century countless construction and consumer products were built and manufactured using asbestos as a stabilizer. Now, decades later those components are beginning to break down. Floor and ceiling tiles that were once intact have endured years of wear and tear. Older buildings are being torn down and replaced. Through slow damage and intentional demolition asbestos fibers are being released into the air causing a threat to public safety.
One man knows too well that you don’t have to work in a shipyard or oil refinery to develop fatal mesothelioma. Luigi Pes, an Italian chef in Salisbury England, was diagnosed early in 2008 with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos during his employment at La Gondola restaurant in the 1980s. In addition to some asbestos-containing ceiling material present in the establishment, Pes believes asbestos in the oven seals of the restaurant’s kitchen caused his case of mesothelioma.
In the Salisbury Journal’s July 5th article on the topic, Pes says, “For many years I worked there with no idea about the damage asbestos could do to my health. In later years when I became aware about the dangers of asbestos, I had an idea that I had been exposed but I never expected that I would end up with this disease.
“Despite my progressive illness and the restrictions it brings, I’m doing my best to enjoy each day I have left. I’m not angry but I do feel strongly that more should have been done to protect me from getting this disease.”
Pes sought legal action and was able to settle out of court for a six-figure compensation amount. Pes is married and has two grown children. His attorney, Stephen Loach, from legal firm, Thompsons Solicitors, says in the same Salisbury Journal article: “I investigated the case for Mr. Pes urgently and pursued it vigorously so that he could benefit from the compensation during his lifetime. While this will never make up for Mr Pes’ poor health it will at least afford him some financial relief and the knowledge that the employers who caused his suffering have been held to account.”
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