Ark. Supreme Court Grants Relief to Employer, Says Workers’ Compensation Act Bars Claims for Asbestos, Silica Exposure

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –– The Arkansas Supreme Court has granted a petition for a writ of prohibition filed by Porocel Corp., which maintained that claims asserted against it for asbestos and silica exposure were barred by the state’s workers’ compensation act.

In its April 25 decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court opined that even though the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Act’s one-year statute of limitations “operates harshly” in the instant proceedings, it was plaintiff Booker T. Washington Jr.’s exclusive remedy for his alleged injuries.

The decision arises out of Porocel’s request that a trial court dismiss a civil action complaint on grounds …