John Fiore, Petitioner-Appellant v. Consolidated Freightways, Respondent-Respondent

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the Appellate Division and remanded the case, holding that an occupational heart‑disease claim must be analyzed under the Workers’ Compensation Act’s occupational‑disease provision (section 31) and must satisfy the stringent material‑degree and substantial‑contribution standards of section 7.2. The claimant must show that the disease is due in a material degree to workplace conditions and that the occupational exposure substantially contributed beyond personal risk factors.