IBPO Attorney Wins Significant Injured-On-Duty Settlement for Worcester Officer
September 19, 2007
A 10-year veteran Worcester police officer and member of IBPO Local 378 has received a significant injured-on-duty settlement stemming from an injury sustained in July 2006.
"We are very happy about the settlement," said Local 378 President Ed Saucier. "The officer got above and beyond what we thought she could get, and she deserved every bit of it. [IBPO Attorney] Diane Byrnes did an excellent job of representing her and winning this case."
The officer injured her knee and ankle on July 6, 2006, while in the performance of her job duties, and was paid injured-on-duty benefits from July 10, 2006 to September 27, 2006.
When the city terminated her benefits on September 27, the officer had to take sick leave and vacation leave until she was fit to return to duty on June 11, 2007.
The union, represented by IBPO attorney Diane Byrnes, argued that the officer should have continued to receive injured-on-duty benefits until she was fit to return to work. Attorney Byrnes and IBPO Local 378 President Edward Saucier worked with the city to come to an agreement that was satisfactory to both parties.
In the settlement reached with the City of Worcester, the city agreed to:
- Change the officer’s payroll records to reflect that she was carried on injured-on-duty leave during the period she could not work due to her injury;
- Credit the officer’s sick leave account the 216 hours she was forced to use during the period of her injury
- Credit the sick bank account the 1,074 hours she was forced to use because of her injury
- Credit the officer’s vacation leave account the 160 hours she was forced to use
- Pay the officer for the week of April 22, 2007, during which she was in a no-pay status
- Pay for any outstanding and future medical bills for treatment which is reasonable and the natural and proximate result of the injury sustained on July 6, 2006.