2014 Police and Fire Settlements and Awards

• $1.25 Million Civil Liability personal injury settlement secured on behalf of a Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy who sustained numerous severe injuries when his squad car was struck head-on during the course of a high-speed chase of a suspect. Note that the defendant driver’s max insurance coverage was $250,000 plus $1 Million excess policy.

• $1.35 Million Civil Liability Settlement secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Firefighter who sustained severe burns when he was caught in a backdraft explosion at a residential house fire. As a result of the ongoing effects of the burn injuries, the Firefighter was ultimately deemed to be unfit to continue as a Firefighter. Meuser Law Office, P.A. sued the owner of the property, who had illegally converted the home into rental units, and was illegally renting rooms to University of Minnesota College Students. Investigation revealed serious flaws in the building plans and construction during the renovation of the property into rental units which directly contributed to the cause of the backdraft explosion that occurred during the fire.

• $450,000 Civil Liability Settlement secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Firefighter who sustained severe injuries, including burns, a broken pelvis, a low back injury, and ultimately a hip replacement when he was caught in a backdraft explosion at a residential house fire. Meuser Law Office sued the owner of the property, who had illegally converted the home into rental units, and was illegally renting rooms to University of Minnesota College Students. Investigation revealed serious flaws in the building plans and construction during the renovation of the property into rental units which directly contributed to the cause of the backdraft explosion that occurred during the fire.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Police Officer who suffered from work-related post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his having shot a suspect in the line of duty, among numerous other traumatic experiences.

• Workers’ Compensation settlement of $60,000 secured for a Thief River Falls Police Officer who sustained a broken hip when he was assaulted while attempting to assist with a violent mental health patient.

• Approval for retraining plan awarded to a Becker County Deputy Sheriff who suffered from a back injury dating back over 15 years, and who could no longer work as a police officer.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a City of Brooklyn Park Police Officer who suffered from work-related post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of exposures to numerous traumatic incidents throughout his career.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Police Officer who suffered from a disabling shoulder injury dating back to 1998 that required additional surgery in 2012. This individual’s application for benefits was initially denied because the City represented that it had light duty work available for this officer. Following a Fact-Finding Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, who found that he could not perform the light duty work allegedly offered by the City, PERA reversed its initial denial, and awarded Duty Disability Benefits.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Mankato Police Officer who developed post-traumatic stress disorder after his involvement in an officer-involved shooting of a suspect. His condition worsened after he was subsequently involved in a serious crash while responding with lights and sirens to a burglary-in-progress call.

• MSRS State Patrol Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minnesota State Trooper who developed post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of his involvement in numerous traumatic events throughout the course of his career. Note that MSRS required this individual to undergo an “Independent Medical Evaluation” prior to the award of benefits.

• Workers’ Compensation settlement of $90,000 secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Firefighter who suffered from a disabling neck condition as the result of several work-related injuries, including an injury sustained when a ceiling collapsed during the performance of overhaul duties, and an injury sustained while carrying an obese emergency medical patient down a flight of stairs.

• Workers’ Compensation settlement of $13,250 for disputed permanent partial disability benefits secured on behalf of a State Trooper with numerous injuries to his neck, back, shoulders, and knees.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Hennepin County Medical Center Paramedic who suffered a heart attack during the course of responding to an emergency medical call.

• Workers’ Compensation settlement of $12,500 secured for a Minneapolis Firefighter who retired 15 years previously, and who sustained numerous injuries during the course of his career – the most recent of which had been over 20 years ago. The settlement agreement also required the City to pay over $60,000 in outstanding medical expenses.

• $12,500 civil liability personal injury settlement secured on behalf of a St. Louis County Deputy Sheriff who sustained injuries when the unmarked squad car she was riding in, driven by an officer from another agency, during the course of working on a joint-task force assignment, struck a deer while traveling at speeds in excess of 80 mph.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Police Officer who sustained a career-ending shoulder injury during an altercation with a suspect.

• Workers’ compensation settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a City of Columbia Heights Police Officer who sustained a severe nerve injury to his arm while attempting to handcuff a combative suspect.

• Workers’ compensation settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Police Officer who originally sustained injury to his shoulder over 15 years ago. We secured an expert medical opinion concluding that the officer had also sustained a Gillette-type injury much more recently, allowing us make a much higher claim for wage loss benefits.

• Underinsured motorist claim settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a disabled St. Paul Firefighter who sustained neck and shoulder injuries when he was involved in motor vehicle collision while performing light duty. Note that in addition to this settlement, Meuser Law Office previously recovered a civil liability settlement of the policy limits of $100,000 against the at-fault driver in this case, an additional underinsured motorist claim settlement against the City of St. Paul for its policy limits of $25,000, as well as a workers’ compensation settlement, and Continuation of Health Insurance benefits in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 299A.465.

• PERA Police and Fire Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Scott County Deputy Sheriff who sustained significant injuries when his squad car was hit head on by a fleeing suspect during the course of a high-speed chase.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Police Officer who sustained a significant back injury when her squad car was hit by a drunk driver.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Firefighter who required a low back fusion after several work-related low back injuries, including a slip and fall on ice at the scene of a fire, and a low back injury sustained while pulling an attack line down a stairwell.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Firefighter who sustained a disabling knee injury when he slipped and fell on ice while racing to assist to an emergency medical patient.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Hibbing Police Officer who sustained a disabling shoulder injury while attempting to physically restrain a suicidal, violent suspect.

• Workers’ compensation settlement of $100,000 on behalf of a Minneapolis Firefighter who developed severe arthritis in her knees as a result of years of heavy physical labor as a Firefighter. Notably, before beginning her career as a firefighter, this individual had sustained a knee injury while working in a civilian job. We were able to claim benefits against both the Minneapolis Fire Department as well as the civilian job she held over 20 years ago. In addition to the $100,000 settlement, the City agreed to pay over $65,000 in outstanding medical expenses.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a City of Crystal Police Officer who developed post-traumatic stress disorder after he shot a suspect when he intervened to stop a criminal act in progress while off duty.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Firefighter who sustained several low back injuries resulting in chronic pain and limitation, including an injury while lifting an obese patient, and injury while lifting a stretcher, and an injury sustained during a slip and fall on ice while picking up hose at the scene of a fire.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Coon Rapids Firefighter who developed a disabling low back condition following several surgeries as the result of back injuries he sustained while lifting obese emergency medical patients.

• Workers’ compensation settlement of $24,000 secured on behalf of a disabled Becker County Sheriff’s Deputy on the basis of an injury that occurred over 15 years ago.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a St. Paul Firefighter who suffered a respiratory injury as the result of responding to an industrial fire where the responding firefighters were exposed to numerous burning chemicals.

• Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 awarded to a disabled Minneapolis Police Officer where the original injury occurred over 15 years ago. The City of Minneapolis disputed this Officer’s eligibility for Health Insurance Benefits. He was found eligible for the benefits by an Administrative Law Judge following a Contested Case Hearing. This Officer also went to trial and won his claim for PERA Duty Disability Benefits after the City argued that he did not meet the disability criteria.

• Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 awarded to a disabled Minneapolis Police Officer who sustained a back injury while kicking down a door during the course of executing an arrest warrant. This Officer was over the age of 55 and had in excess of 20 years of service credit, and was therefore eligible for PERA Police and Fire Plan Retirement Benefits.

• Workers’ Compensation Settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a South Lake Minnetonka Police Officer who sustained several low back injuries in the line of duty. Notably, this Officer had a significant pre-existing non-work related low back condition.

• Workers’ Compensation Settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a severely injured State Corrections Officer who was assaulted by an inmate. Due to coordination rules that apply to MSRS disability benefits and workers’ compensation benefits, the settlement primarily involved significant claims for workers’ compensation Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits.

• Workers’ Compensation Settlement of $75,000 secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Police Officer who suffered from a disabling back condition. The City disputed that his condition was work-related.

• Settlement of $25,000 for Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 secured on behalf of a Metropolitan Airports Commission Police Officer who sustained injury as the result of a motor vehicle collision nearly 15 years previously while en route to perform a controlled narcotics delivery. Her application for PERA Duty Disability Benefits had initially been denied by PERA, which determined that the duties she was performing at the time of the injury were not inherently dangerous. After a Fact-Finding Hearing, an Administrative Law Judge also determined that the duties were not inherently dangerous. After a Hearing before the PERA Board of Trustees, the Board reversed and held that as a matter of policy, she was engaged in inherently dangerous duties as the time of her injury and awarded Duty Disability benefits. After the award of Duty Disability, the Officer’s employer contested her entitlement to Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 299A.465. Prior to a Contested Case Hearing, the parties agreed to settle the claim for $25,000.

• Workers’ Compensation Settlement of $80,000 secured on behalf of a City of Woodbury Police Officer who sustained a head injury when she slipped and fell on ice while investigating a residential alarm.

• MSRS State Patrol Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a State Trooper who sustained neck and shoulder injuries when her vehicle was struck head on by a civilian who had fallen asleep at the wheel.

• Workers’ compensation settlement of $90,000 secured on behalf of Mayo Clinic paramedic who sustained a low back injury while lifting an obese patient on a stretcher.

• Settlement of $5,000 secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Police Officer for PTSD Wage Loss Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.475, which requires an employer to pay any unreimbursed wage loss for up to a year to a peace officer who is unable to work due to a diagnosis of PTSD that results from the infliction of death or serious bodily harm in the line of duty.  Despite the fact that this Officer had shot and killed a suspect in the line of duty, the City of Minneapolis denied his claim. In addition to this benefit, Meuser Law Office also secured an award of PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability benefits and Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465.

• Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 awarded to a Minneapolis Police Officer who suffered from PTSD as the result of exposure to numerous traumatic incidents during his career, including an incident wherein he shot and killed a suspect in the line of duty. The City of Minneapolis initially disputed this Officer’s eligibility for benefits, but subsequently withdrew its appeal just prior to Hearing, and agreed to provide the benefit. The City also agreed to reimburse this Officer for the out of pocket expenses he incurred to maintain COBRA insurance coverage during the pendency of the litigation.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Minneapolis Firefighter who sustained severe burns to his hands, arms, face, neck, and back after he was caught in a backdraft explosion during a residential house fire.

• PERA Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Mounds View Police Officer who sustained a disabling shoulder injury while attempting to restrain and arrest a physically combative suspect.

• MSRS State Patrol Plan Duty Disability Benefits awarded to a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Officer who sustained numerous knee injuries throughout the course of his career, including while kicking down a door to execute an arrest warrant, when he was attacked by a dog while investigating the whereabouts of a fugitive, and while engaging in a foot chase with a wanted felony sex offender.

• Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 secured on behalf of a Minneapolis Firefighter who retired as the result of a serious back injury he sustained when the fire engine he was riding in jolted violently. Because he was over the age of 55 and had over 20 years of service, and was therefore ineligible for PERA Duty Disability benefits, PERA determined that his injury otherwise met the duty disability criteria and awarded Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits.

• Workers’ Compensation Settlement of $75,000 secured for Minneapolis Firefighter who retired due to a low back injury that occurred when the fire engine he was riding in en route to a medical emergency jerked suddenly and violently while braking for stopped traffic.

• Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits under Minn. Stat. § 299A.465 secured on behalf of a Minnesota State Trooper who developed post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of his involvement in numerous traumatic events throughout the course of his career. The State of Minnesota initially disputed his eligibility for Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits after this State Trooper was awarded MSRS State Patrol Plan Duty Disability benefits. The State withdrew its appeal and agreed to pay the benefit prior to the scheduled Hearing date.