In its 1984 decision in Hansome, the Missouri Supreme Court required an “exclusive causal connection” between the employee’s exercise of rights under the workers’ compensation statute and the adverse action the employee challenged. No more. Today, the Missouri Supreme Court swept Hansome aside and concluded the employee need only show that his exercise of rights under the workers’ compensation statute was a “contributing factor” to the adverse action.
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Asbestos: How Much Does it Contribute to Lung Cancer?
Recently in Asbestos Columns, published by Harris Martin, I authored an article on the causation of lung cancer asking how much does asbestos really contribute. 
Courts that look at the issue of causation in asbestos cases are now less likely to allow testimony from plaintiff’s experts that any exposure above background will substantially contribute to cause an asbestos related disease and more likely to require a plaintiff to prove that the alleged exposure attributable to a defendant was sufficient to cause his disease.
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Rejection: Every Exposure Theory in Asbestos Litigation
A trend has emerged across the country whereby more courts are rejecting the every exposure theory in asbestos litigation. 
This theory, also referred to the single fiber theory, is used by plaintiffs in asbestos litigation to argue that a single fiber is substantially causative of asbestos-related diseases.
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The Sun, the Moon, and the Air: How Much Deference Should a Court Give to Agency Classifications?
Much like its classification of the UV rays from sunshine and “moonshine” (alcoholic beverages), the International Association for Research on Cancer (IARC) has now classified outdoor air as a human carcinogen.
Continue Reading The Sun, the Moon, and the Air: How Much Deference Should a Court Give to Agency Classifications?