The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 12 : Court Procedure

Chapter 219 : Medical Monitoring

• § 7202. Medical monitoring for exposure to proven toxic substances

  (a) A person without a present injury or disease shall have a cause of action for the remedy of medical monitoring against a person who is the owner or operator of a large facility from which a proven toxic substance was released if all of the following are demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence:

  (1) exposure at a rate significantly greater than the general population;

  (2) to a proven toxic substance;

  (3) as a result of tortious conduct of the defendant;

  (4) as a proximate result of the exposure, plaintiffs have suffered an increased risk of contracting a serious disease;

  (5) the increased risk makes it medically necessary for the plaintiffs to undergo periodic medical examination different from that prescribed for the general population in the absence of exposure; and

  (6) monitoring procedures exist that are reasonable in cost and safe for use.

  (b) If the cost of medical monitoring is awarded, a court shall order the defendant found liable to pay the award to a court-supervised medical monitoring program administered by one or more appropriate health professionals, including professionals with expertise in exposure to toxic substances or expertise with treating or monitoring the relevant latent disease or diseases.

  (c) Upon an award of medical monitoring under subsection (b) of this section, the court shall award to the plaintiff reasonable attorney’s fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred.

  (d)(1) This chapter shall be the exclusive remedy for a person without a present injury to bring a cause of action to seek medical monitoring due to exposure to a proven toxic substance.

  (2) Except as provided under subdivision (1) of this subsection, nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to preclude the pursuit of any other civil or injunctive remedy or defense available under statute or common law, including the right of any person to seek to recover for damages related to the manifestation of a latent disease. The remedies and defenses in this chapter are in addition to those provided by existing statutory or common law.

  (e) This section shall not increase the rights and remedies available under 21 V.S.A. chapter 9 to an employee who suffers a personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment, provided that 21 V.S.A. chapter 9 shall not limit the right of a person who has not suffered a personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment to bring a cause of action for medical monitoring. (Added 2021, No. 93 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2022.)