Alaska High Court Affirms Denial of Benefits to Gas Station Attendant

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Supreme Court has affirmed the denial of workers' compensation benefits to a former gas station attendant, concluding that the petitioner's expert did not sufficiently connect the petitioner's exposure to his illness. Apone v. Fred Meyer Inc., No. S-12748 (Alaska Sup. Ct.).

In its March 19 opinion, the high court opined that the credentials of the employer's experts outweighed those of the experts testifying on behalf of the petitioner.

James Apone sought workers' compensation benefits, contending that his work as an attendant at a gas station exposed him to benzene-containing fumes and exhaust, causing him …