Commission Properly Revisits Firefighter's Cancer Claim, Awards Benefits

An Ohio appellate court upheld the Industrial Commission’s jurisdiction to revisit the denial of a cancer-stricken firefighter’s claim and its decision to award him benefits. Joseph Conley was diagnosed with thyroid cancer while working as a firefighter for the City of Cincinnati. Conley filed an application for workers' compensation benefits. After a hearing, a district hearing officer denied the claim. Although Ohio Revised Code Section 4123.68(X)(1) provided a presumption that Conley’s thyroid cancer was contracted in the course of his employment, the DHO found tha...