Pa. Court Affirms Denial of Benefits to Former Firefighter Who Said Prostate Cancer Caused by Occupational Exposure

PHILADELPHIA – A Pennsylvania court has affirmed the denial of benefits to a former firefighter who contended that his prostate cancer was caused by carcinogens, saying that the claimant failed to establish a causal relationship between his injury and his occupational exposure.

In the Sept. 7 opinion, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court said that, in the absence of this evidence, the presumption of compensability in Section 301(f) is not available to the claimant.

Earl Hutz filed for Workers’ Compensation benefits, contending that he developed prostate cancer as a result of exposure to Group 1 carcinogens – including diesel exhaust, asbestos, …