When a public employee at the state or municipal level is injured or ill and forced to retire, they may receive a disability pension in addition to their workers’ compensation benefits. However, many people wonder whether accepting both benefits can impact their financial security. Below, personal injury attorney Mark O. Grater Attorney at Law of Groton, CT, discusses how these two forms of compensation can affect one another.

Disability Retirement Benefits

The state of Connecticut offers retirement benefits to workers who are deemed unable to work, regardless of whether their disability is related to their jobs. Service-connected disabilities (SCD) stem from injuries or illnesses sustained while carrying out your duties as a state employee; workers are eligible for this benefit regardless of their age or length of service. Workers who are under age 65 and have held a public job for at least 10 years are also eligible for retirement benefits if they sustain an illness or injury that is deemed nonservice-connected (NSD).

Workers’ Compensation

If you are eligible for SCD or NSD, you can still collect workers’ compensation. However, the state offsets disability retirement income based on additional sources of revenue like worker’s comp, Social Security benefits, and outside earnings. The state’s Retirement Division uses specialized formulas to determine what portion of your original salary will be awarded as retirement income. Collecting financial resources like worker’s comp and Social Security can lead to reductions in the disability retirement total.

Do I Need an Attorney?

Understanding your rights to compensation can be complicated, especially if you anticipate offsets in your disability retirement benefits due to other sources of income. An experienced personal injury attorney will review your case to determine whether you are likely to see reductions due to workers’ comp payments and other financial resources.

If you have questions about how Connecticut calculates disability retirement benefits and workers’ compensation payments, then get in touch with Mark O. Grater Attorney at Law. As a board-certified personal injury lawyer, he provides expert legal counsel to injured workers throughout the state, helping them get the benefits they deserve. Visit the firm online to learn more about their practice areas, and call (860) 449-8059 to schedule a free consultation.