Court Clarifies Standards of Compensability for Volunteer Firefighters With Cancer

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld an award of benefits to a volunteer firefighter who developed large B-cell/non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Case: Bristol Borough v. WCAB (Burnett), No. 464 C.D. 2018, 03/22/2019, published. Facts and procedural history: William Burnett worked for Bristol Borough as a volunteer firefighter. After he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell/non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burnett filed a workers' compensation claim. Burnett asserted that his cancer had been caused by exposure to known carcinogens in the course of his firefighting activities. A wor...