Mesothelioma Litigation

An Italian chef who worked around asbestos-lined pizza ovens in the UK recently received a significant amount of compensation after he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, reports the Salisbury Journal.

According to the news source, 60-year-old Luigi Pes worked at the former La Gondola restaurant in Salisbury, where he was often exposed to asbestos in the oven and in the ceiling of the facility.

Pes, who worked in the restaurant during the 1980s, claimed he had never been warned about the potential hazards of asbestos exposure and was ultimately diagnosed with the rare cancer mesothelioma in February 2008.

"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 explained.

In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos exposure has been proven to cause asbestosis and lung cancer. Overall, asbestos-related illnesses kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year, estimates the World Health Organization.