Accidental Disability Granted

Initial decision of the Police & Firefighter’s Retirement System of New Jersey (PFRS) denied the member’s application for accidental disability retirement benefits. The Board advised petitioner by letter dated May 10, 2022, that it determined that Petitioner’s disability is the result of a pre-existing disease alone or a pre-existing disease that is aggravated or accelerated by work effort.

The matter was transmitted to the Office of Administrative Law. The issue in this matter is whether Petitioner’s disability was the direct result of the injury of August 2017 or is his disability because of a pre-existing disease alone or in conjunction with work activity. The Administrative Law Judge found that because the Petitioner was asymptomatic prior to the on the job incident, the injury occurring on the job was the essential significant and substantial contributing cause of the Petitioner’s disability. The Petitioner was therefore granted accidental disability.

For the OAL decision, Click Here.