Stemming from the case of a firefighter who claimed he developed cancer from on-the-job exposure to carcinogens, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has clarified the evidentiary standards for alleging an occupational disease in a workers’ compensation case.

The court’s multifaceted and, at times, divided ruling—one that generated three concurring and dissenting opinions—reversed a ruling of the Commonwealth Court holding that plaintiff Scott Sladek did not prove his cancer was the result of his employment as a Philadelphia firefighter.