Attorneys: Occ. Disease Civil Suits still Possible after Reforms

By John P. Kamin, ReporterMissouri employers could still face personal injury suits for occupational diseases, despite the passage of a bill this year that placed occupational diseases back within the workers' compensation system, claimants' attorneys say. Senate Bill 1, signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon on July 10, solved two complex issues that concerned lawmakers. It eliminated language that Missouri courts interpreted to mean that workers' comp was no longer the exclusive remedy for occupational diseases and it increased employer assessments to restore the solvency of the cash-...