Abstract
The proof that an occupational or environmental exposure produces a particular disease involves not only scientific and epidemiological evidence, but also the legal aspects of proof. These include “cause in fact” and “proximate cause.” The court must also decide who is liable for the exposure, the degree to which the exposure accounted for the disease, and the amount of financial compensation due the plaintiff. Medical malpractice suits are another type of legal problem in causation. In addition to the individual toxic tort case, there are other types of legal cases in which causation must be evaluated such as environmental exposures arising from industry, toxic wastes, nuclear plants, aerosol spraying, and other sources in which groups of persons are exposed. The defendant in such cases may be an industry, a municipality, the armed forces, or the government itself. There are also widespread legal issues involved in consumer suits for presumed reactions or diseases resulting from food additives, drugs, and vaccines.
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Evans, A.S. (1993). Causation and Occupational Diseases. In: Causation and Disease. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3024-4_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3024-4_10
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