The firefighters union is hopeful a legal decision will stop Tasmania Fire Service’s insurer Allianz from contesting cancer compensation claims.
The Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal dismissed the insurer’s bid to stop a former firefighter with cancer from being reimbursed medical costs.
He will be the second career firefighter to be reimbursed under 2013 legislation, which allows access to compensation for 12 cancers proven to be caused by exposure to chemicals and carcinogens.
In a statement, an Allianz spokesman said it would not appeal against the decision, paving the way for the firefighter to access compensation.
But it was unclear whether the German-based insurance giant would continue contesting similar claims by other firefighters.
United Firefighters Union state secretary Greg Cooper said several other workers had lodged claims and he hoped the decision would dissuade the insurer from future legal battles.
“It’s appalling, they’re a very aggressive insurer in regards to disputing claims,” he said.
“They’ll use any legal trick they can to try and get out of accepting a claim.”
Mr Cooper said claims needed to be processed without legal delay.
“The firefighter gets diagnosed and needs to have an operation early when the insurer disputes it the firefighter basically has to fund that operation,” he said.
“They’re worrying ‘is it terminal? Am I going to recover?'”
Last month, the State Opposition laid blame on the Government for making firefighters “jump through hoops” for compensation pay-outs.
Tasmania was not the only state where cancer had been linked to firefighting operations.
An inquiry found contamination at the Victorian Country Fire Authority’s notorious Fiskville training facility was likely to have caused cancer, confirming what many firefighters suspected for decades.
The Northern Territory Government last year passed long-awaited legislation amendments that will give compensation to firefighters struck down by certain types of cancers.
The Tasmanian Fire Service was contacted for comment.