'Landmark' Court Case Links Excessive Phone Use With Brain Tumour

An Italian court has ruled that mobile phone usage is the reason behind a man developing a brain tumour and ordered that he be compensated for becoming deaf in one ear.

57-year-old Roberto Romeo was awarded a state-funded pension after the court ruled that extended mobile phone usage was the cause of his brain tumour. He will receive €500 (£418/$535) a month in compensation through a national insurance scheme covering workplace accidents.

He told the court that his career meant that he was on the phone for three to four hours a day for 15 years.

In 2010, he realised that his right ear felt as though it was blocked all the time, reports the Mirror.

He went to the doctor, where they diagnosed him with a brain tumour. Luckily, it was benign, however they were required to remove his acoustic nerve, which resulted in Romeo becoming deaf in his left ear.

Romeo's lawyers, Stefano Bertone and Renato Ambrosio said in a statement: "For the first time in the world, a court has recognised a causal link between inappropriate use of a mobile phone and a brain tumour."

via GIPHY

Romeo added that he simply wanted the public 'to be more aware about how to use' mobile phones, and that he didn't necessarily want to demonise them.

Dr David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer for the Brain Tumour Charity, told BBC News: "We know that many people are concerned about a possible connection between mobile phone use and the development of brain tumours,

"However, the global research projects that have been conducted so far, involving hundreds of thousands of people, have found insufficient evidence that using a mobile phone increases the risk of developing a brain tumour."

He added: "Of course, it is right that researchers continue to explore whether any such link exists."

Hopefully, this will spark more research into the area so we can get a final answer once and for all, however this case shows that the courts are already convinced.

Source: BBC, The Mirror

Topics: Phones and Gadgets, phone, Mobile

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

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