Italian Court Ruled in Favor of Man Claiming His Brain Tumor Was Cause by Cell Phone

An Italian court said that a man’s brain tumor was caused by his cell phone.

Setting a worldwide precedent, a court from the Italian town of Ivrea, has ruled in favor of 57-year-old Roberto Romeo, who claimed that heavy work-related cell phone use gave him a benign brain tumor. According to Romeo’s doctors, although the tumor was not cancerous, the surgeons had to remove his acoustic nerves in order to root out the tumor. The man was entitled to state-paid €500 monthly pension.

Cell Phones Can Cause a Brain Tumor?

During his court appearance, Roberto Romeo, a 57-year-old Ivrea resident, told the jury that, as part of his job, he spent a great deal of his time talking on the phone. Romeo has occupied the same position at his company since he was employed, more than 15 years ago.

The man told the Italian court that due to the nature of his job, he was compelled to use his mobile phone three to four hours per day in order to keep in touch with his co-workers or to coordinate various projects. In addition, it appears that the man talked on the phone while in his vehicle and at home.

In early 2010, Roberto experienced hearing issues. As he describes them, it felt as though the right ear was being blocked by something. The man went to the hospital, where the doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor. Fortunately, the test indicated that the tumor was benign, and it could be safely removed via surgery.

In the same year, Roberto was subject to brain surgery in order to have his tumor removed. Unfortunately, the tumor encompassed most of the man’s acoustic nerve, which the doctors had to remove during the surgery. Even though the surgery proved to be successful, the man lost his hearing.

Italian Court Said That Romeo’s Claims Are Valid

Roberto’s doctors estimated that due to heavy mobile use, the man lost approximately 23 percent of his functions. Bereft of his hearing, Romeo decided to sue the company and to raise awareness among mobile phone users.

Seven years later, the man won the lawsuit and set a precedent. According to Renato Ambrosio and Stefano Bertone, Romeo’s lawyers, this is the first time that a court of law admits that excessive phone use can lead to brain tumors.

Furthermore, the recent ruling might empower some several studies claiming the same thing. In the past, the scientists could not establish a link between phone use and brain tumors. However, it appears that the recent ruling might validate these claims and encourage users not to rely on their mobile devices so much.

Image source: Pixabay

Bio
Latest Posts

John Birks

John holds a diploma in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He covers the technology, social media, green business, eco-travel, politics, arts culture.