Supreme Court quashes lower court ruling denying occupational disease pension due to non-binding prior inspector decision.

The Supreme Court of Poland quashed the Gdansk Labor Court's decision denying an occupational disease pension to Konstanty W. The court found the lower court erred by relying on a prior non-binding sanitary inspector decision that had been issued years before the applicant's continued exposure to mercury and lead. The Supreme Court held that such a prior decision does not bind the court when the applicant remains employed in hazardous conditions, allowing for a fresh evaluation based on expert medical opinions. Consequently, the case was remanded to the Gdansk Labor Court for a new proceeding.