Split Supreme Court Denies Benefits to Firefighter With Lung Cancer

A divided Idaho Supreme Court ruled that a veteran firefighter failed to prove his lung cancer was caused by his employment. Case: Estate of Aikele v. City of Blackfoot, No. 42742, 09/13/2016, published. Facts: Kurt Aikele worked as a firefighter for the City of Blackfoot for 26 years. Doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer in December 2008. Before he died in December 2012, Aikele filed a claim for workers' compensation benefits. As a non-smoker with no known genetic predisposition for lung cancer, Aikele insisted his disease was likely caused by his on-the-job exposure to carcinogens....