300 Euro Compensation to Widow of Airman Killed by Asbestos

Compensation of 300 thousand euros for the widow of the airman who died of pleural mesothelioma after breathing in asbestos in the Air Force.

He was a non-commissioned officer, a life spent working among airplane and helicopter engines insulated with killer asbestos fibers, a military career between Gioia del Colle Airport and Grazzanise Airport, between Capodichino and Treviso: a job that led him to illness and for which he paid with his life.

For that death from pleural cancer that occurred in 2015, the family assisted by Contramianto obtained the recognition of Victim of Duty. The widow of that Campanian airman, adopted by Puglia, killed by asbestos will receive a total compensation between Special Grant, revaluation and unused installments, of over 300.000 euros and a monthly pension of 1600 euros, Irpef exempt.

The act of recognition as a Victim of Duty establishes the link between cancer, asbestos and activities in the Air Force. The compensation obtained is a legitimate right for that death from mesothelioma which, as per documentation, is strictly linked to the inhalation of carcinogenic asbestos fibres breathed by the non-commissioned officer in the workplace repairing military aircraft; asbestos used for the construction of some parts of the aircraft on which the soldier had operated in his long career serving the State for forty years from 1950 to 1990.

Asbestos in the Air Force

The asbestos problem in the Air Force arises from its multiple use, significantly at least until the mid-90s, in two fundamental areas in aircraft components, infrastructures and related systems. But in the Armed Forces asbestos was also present in the means and systems of equipment and auxiliary services such as in the vehicle fleet, in the fire service and in the ground operations support equipment provided to each base or airport. In particular, materials containing asbestos were widely used on board aircraft to ensure the performance of the vehicles and their safety in flight.

As stated in the documentation presented by Contramianto, materials containing asbestos were used in airplanes and helicopters for the insulation of engines and exhaust ducts, gaskets and brake pads.

In aviation, asbestos was present in the materials of the insulating surfaces of very hot engine parts such as engine clamps and gaskets, brakes, defrosting systems, air conditioning system insulation, special adhesive films, cable sheathing.

Read thehoroscope

The investigations carried out have highlighted the presence of asbestos in numerous components and parts up to hundreds of units for some aircraft, most of which were gaskets and fastening and support straps belonging to the propulsion system and secondary systems of the aircraft. Another area of ​​extensive use of asbestos in aircraft was that of brake friction linings which were capable of releasing significant quantities of dust containing asbestos fibres into the air.