A former city firefighter who developed colorectal cancer is unlikely to prove his illness was tied to his work duties, the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims ruled Friday.
In an expedited hearing order, the workers comp court determined that former Cookeville firefighter Jeff Emerson has not sufficiently proved that his cancer diagnosis was connected to firefighting activities.
Mr. Emerson had testified that while on the job, he was exposed to toxins from structure and brush fires, and that he regularly breathed in fumes from vehicle diesel exhaust. Other toxic exposure, he said, was connected to soot that had accumulated on his clothing.
Numerous medical experts gave conflicting opinions on the nature of the injury, the court wrote, and although firefighting activities likely increased Mr. Emerson’s risk of getting colorectal cancer, the evidence in the case does not specifically point to Mr. Emerson’s job as the primary cause of the illness.
The court denied Mr. Emerson’s petition for workers comp benefits, and it ordered the parties to attend a March status hearing for an update on the case.