Firefighter’s Exposure to Chemicals Likely Linked to Development of Parkinson’s

A firefighter claimed that 32 years of fighting fires exposed him to chemicals that contributed to his diagnosis of early onset Parkinson’s disease at age 47, which forced him to retire. But his workers’ comp claim for the disease was denied. The Appeals Tribunal concluded that the firefighter’s Parkinson’s disease was an occupational disease occurring out of and in the course of his employment. It relied heavily on his neurologist’s report, which stated that it was ‘highly likely’ that his occupation did play a role in his development of this disease [20168065 (Re), [2016] CanLII 70712 (NB WCAT), Oct. 18, 2016].