Are you a police officer who is now confronted with a disability because of your public service in law enforcement? Are you unable to work, or perform your regular duties, due to this disability? If so, you need an experienced Queens disability attorney from Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. to represent you in your disability claim.
Our Queens police officers face stress in multiple environments, whether it’s at the station, out on the streets, or at jails and detention centers. The potential for physical and mental strain that can lead to debilitating disabilities is high. The last thing you need, as a Queens public servant, is to have an insurance company deny your claim or limit your benefits.
Yet, that is what often happens. This scenario is one reason why the attorneys at Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. have dedicated a large portion of their long and successful careers to helping our Queens police officers successfully fight against unjust denials so they can get the disability benefits they deserve. Call us today at 516-496-0400 for your free consultation, so we can get to work for you.
Why Select Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. as Your Queens Disability Claim Attorney?
The attorneys at Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. have been serving Queens police officers for over four decades. Our three founding attorneys are still practicing here in Queens, continuing a legacy of service to the law enforcement officers who serve us. We understand the laws governing Queens police officer disability claims and benefits and have experience in successfully fighting the denials that, unfortunately, occur all too often.
We also understand and appreciate the dangers our Queens police officers face every day and the risks they are willing to take to protect our community. In November 2020, two Queens police officers were shot by a domestic violence suspect. So many incidents occur each day that never get public attention, yet the physical and mental suffering these officers experience is very real.
That is why we at Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. are committed to fighting for your rights and to protecting you and your family. The New York State General Municipal Law provides for your accidental disability benefits if you are injured on the job as a Queens police officer, and you deserve to get those benefits.
To file your disability claim, you must submit an accident report to your department. In this report, you must carefully and accurately describe how you were injured. The sooner you can write down notes describing every detail of the events that led to your disability, the more accurate your memory will be. You must fall under certain eligibility criteria, and this is where an experienced Queens police disability attorney can help.
If you are eligible, you must also file a Workers’ Compensation C-3 Form. Your description on the Workers’ Compensation form should reflect what you wrote on your departmental report. You must file this form within 30 days of your accident. It’s important to retain all of your medical records so you can submit them as evidence to back up your claim.
In some circumstances, you may still be able to receive benefits even if you failed to file reports. Some officers are eligible for Line of Duty Injury (LODI) benefits for activities performed at the World Trade Center. The attorneys at Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. can explore all available avenues for you, including filing a lawsuit against a third party if appropriate. We won’t rest until you are recognized for your selfless service by receiving the disability compensation you deserve.
If you have filed a claim and been denied, don’t give up hope. The process can be confusing for many Queens police officers, particularly if you are focused on your recovery and worrying about finances. You have rights, and an experienced Queens police officer disability attorney can step in and fight that denial for you.
Common Causes of Disabilities for Queens Police Officers
- Vehicles and transportation accidents
- Violence
- Falls
- Exposure to toxins and other harmful substances
- Exposure to infectious diseases
- Overexertion
- Forceful contact with objects, such as when chasing a suspect
Common police officer injuries from these sources include:
- Broken bones
- Muscle tears, strains, and sprains
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Back and neck injuries, including spinal cord damage and herniated discs
- Burns
- Respiratory issues
We can also represent you if you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to your police service or if you have developed other mental health disorders. Depending on the extent of your disability, you may receive temporary or permanent benefits.
You will receive replacement income depending on your disability rating as determined by your physician and whether or not your disability is temporary, permanent, or if you can return to work but not perform the same tasks as before. You may also get temporary total disability of two-thirds of your weekly wages if your physician assigned you a 100% disability rating, but your disability is only temporary. Different benefit types are available for permanent partial disability and permanent total disability.
If you are eligible for Workers’ Compensation, additional benefits may be available to you, so it is imperative that you file the required forms in a timely fashion, keep all of your medical records and receipts, and get any witness statements and other evidence that can back up your claim.
Appealing a Denied Claim
If you have filed a police officer disability claim and had it denied, don’t panic. It could be that you inadvertently left out some critical facts in your description, or the medical evidence was insufficient or unclear. The insurance company sometimes fails to perform an adequate investigation or disagrees with the disability definition.
Even though you should receive disability benefits for your service as a Queens police officer, denials are common. At Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C. we think this is unacceptable, and we will fight for you until you get the compensation you deserve.
Call Us Today
At Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C., we don’t charge our Queens police officers a dime until we get compensation for you. We will meet with you in a free consultation to review the circumstances of your disability claim and then decide how to proceed to get you the best chances of receiving compensation. Don’t wait any longer to get the compensation you deserve. Call us today at 516-496-0400 and let us ease some of your worries.