• 10
  • August
    2011

Most of us never expect that we will go into work today, sustain an injury and never be the same as a result of a workplace accident. While danger can pop up at almost any job, there are certain professions that are inherently dangerous, such as law enforcement.

From traffic hazards to dealing with violent criminals, police officers put themselves in the line of fire regularly as part of their job. Last year, one Alabama officer was off-duty but working by leading a funeral procession in his town. He was injured in a motorcycle accident - only to wind up suffering greater injury soon after.

According to an Alabama source, the officer's motorcycle crashed with another vehicle during the funeral procession. When he was boarded into an ambulance, that emergency vehicle wound up flipping on the road, leaving the already injured officer in even more severe condition. Fortunately, he survived the accident, but his injuries were serious and he needed extensive recovery time.

When a worker is injured on the job, he and his family can generally get financial relief through workers' compensation benefits. An injured worker is unable to work and earn a living to support his family, and a company has a duty to compensate its workers when their job directly leads to injury.

In the case of this Alabama officer's accident, the city that the victim worked for didn't feel it owed him and his family benefits. Why? The city claimed that leading the funeral procession was an off-duty activity, meaning the injury didn't truly happen by a workplace accident. The plaintiffs fought for a judge to see the case differently, and they succeeded in doing so last month.

The family and now former officer have been granted the workers' comp. they felt they needed and deserved. On Monday, the 19-year officer retired. Hopefully, his retirement will be a safe and happy one and the workers' compensation benefits will provide him and his family the security they deserve.

Source

Al.com: "Recovering Cpl. David Brown retires from Montgomery PD," Christine Kneidinger, Aug. 8, 2011