I am a police officer, can I be retired die to lumbar spine disease?

Question

I aggrevated an old low back injury from 1991 due to poor office ergonomics and wearing of the gunbelt has placed major strain on my low back. I presently have 2 herniated disc and 2 bulging disc and will have surgery. Will I be able to perform the same?

Answer 1

Good question. First line up your doctors and lawyers. second it would help if the 1991 injury was related to you being a police officer. You will have to be able to prove that the ergonomics was what affected your back injury. As to the dutybelt, a lot of police officers in their later years have the same problem. You can have twenty to forty pounds of equipment on your belt. Once you have surgery, you will probably be relegated to administrative status. Your department may try to "reasonably accommodate"you instead of retiring you. Depending on your retirement system, you have to look at what will you receive upon retiring? Also what can you do, for work, after retiring, without jeopardizing your pension? As a retired LEO, in my state, I can only work 960 hours for any government entity, with the exception of the feds. In private industry I can work whatever I want. However you can not do any type of security or police work due to the type of retirement. Good luck

Answer 2

In any capacity of work, you must prove that your job somehow either a) caused the disability or b) aggravated the condition so as to incapacitate your ability to continue. IF a Dr. determines that whatever is wrong is just normal wear and tear and NOT A DIRECT result of your employment, you will probably not be able to collect workman's comp or disability or whatever is provided in your terms of employment. IF it is determined that your job was a DIRECT factor in your disability, you may be assigned "light duty" work for the duration or until you can return to regular capicity work. If you cannot return at all in any capacity then you may file for disability or work comp. or whatever is provided. (A word of caution: A "Company" dr. will almost always try to tell you that there is not that much wrong and that you can continue. They are paid by the company, etc. you work for and are going to try to save the company money. It is cheaper for the company to sit you in a chair all day and do nothing and pay you your wages than it is to let you collect benefits most of the time.) If you feel you cannot continue, seek another opinion and/or an attorney. back surgery, even in this day and age, is still unpredictable on the outcome. I have 2 bulging and herniated discs myself and am able to do almost anything with caution. (I find bending and performing a side-to-side motion at the same time aggravates it.) I have not had surgery. We own our own business which is a small trucking co. and there is a lot of heavy lifting and bending getting those trucks loaded every day.

Answer 3

How do you feel out on patrol?
If your Sam Browne is hurting you, do you really want to aggravate your injuries any further?
I would wait until after your surgery and see what the doctor says and also see how you feel.
And if this is an injury that occurred on duty, why wouldn't you want to allow them to retire you on a disability pension?
I had a partner who literally broke his back in a fall during a foot pursuit. He kept trying to come back, until it got really obvious that he just wasn't going to be able to handle eight hours wearing his gear and riding in the car. It killed him at first to take that disablility pension, but he went back to school, got a degree, and found a new career as an insurance investigator. He makes good money, and he is still doing investigative work.
It's not the end of the world, and when you are 60, you will be glad that you did the right thing for your health.

Answer 4

I am indeed sorry to hear about your condition and I believe that some of the finest orthopedic surgeons reside in your state that any such operation would be long and painful in recovery, but a full success in its conclusion. If , under the governing laws, you are not then able to return to your normal duties, they are obliged to give you another position with lighter duties. If these cannot be undertaken, then retirement due to disability becomes mandatory for your survival.All police are a major asset to our society but are human as well and have families they must care for after service has been given to the public.Wishing you all the best.

Answer 5

Any police officer that can not preform thier duties will have to either be transfered to a desk job, or put on disability
or disability retirement.

Alot of what happens will depend on the department you work for, the benifits you have with that department and if you can prove medicaly that it has any work relationship.

If something about your work has helped cause this, if it was cuased by something not job related, you may just be layoffed with no retirement

Answer 6

It sounds like you have severe back problems that in all probability won't be fixed well enough for you to continue active police duty.
Statistically recurring back injury responds less and less well with age and multiple surgery.
You may well be re-assigned to a desk job, or retired if your condition can't be restored.

Answer 7

While only your department will have the definitive answer I would think you will be assigned a desk job. However if you are near retirement they may very well give you that option.

If you have a good record with them it is unlikely you will be forced into anything. However your doctor will be the one to decide what kind of work you will be up to.

Answer 8

Check the terms of your retirement package, and see if these is anything metioned about diability retirement.

Answer 9

I would think that you would be placed on desk duty afterwards but not retired.

Answer 10

Sure it don't take much hard work to be a cop. You wont hurt yourself being nasty to people and telling lies or get free donuts and coffee.