KITCHENER - Another 31 workplace insurance claims for former rubber workers have been accepted after a months-long review into hundreds of cases.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced that an additional 31 cases out of approximately 300 that were reviewed have now been accepted.
Decisions for another 253 claims were upheld, while 24 more are in the process of appealing.
"When someone gets sick, we all ask why? The WSIB has to be guided by scientific evidence and that evidence has now led to (31) more people getting some additional help," said Armando Fatigati, vice-president of complex claims, in a news release.
The WSIB launched a review team last December to begin looking into previously-denied insurance claims from local rubber workers.
The team is made up of occupational disease adjudicators, occupational hygienists and physician experts.
Since its launch, another 174 claims have been filed. They're going through the regular claims process.
"In January 2019, the Ontario government announced a review of occupational cancers led by Dr. Paul Demers," the news release goes on.
"Any recommendations coming out of Dr. Demers’ work that would impact decisions made on cancer-related claims that were part of the WSIB review will be applied, and those claimants or their families will receive an updated decision from the WSIB."
If you have questions about a denied claim or about a work-related illness, you can contact WSIB at 1-800-387-0750.
