Wayne McCort is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation  by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.  He has been with our firm for over 20 years.  Although he handles all types of job injuries, Wayne spends the majority of his time fighiting for Safety Officers Benefits. 

In recognition of the unique hazards of their jobs and their inherent importance to society, the legislature has granted an injured safety officer unique benefits under the Workers’ Compensation Laws of the State of California. Unfortunately, these benefits are not automatically available and may be denied if the injured safety officer does not protect his or her Workers’ Compensation rights beginning the moment they are injured or become ill on the job. An injured safety officer should not be lulled into a false sense of security, believing that certain types of injuries or illnesses are automatically covered because of their safety officer status.

Labor Code statutes create persumptions that heart trouble, cancer, pneumonia, hernias, and various other conditions developed by safety officers are work-related. The presumptions can apply even if the condition develops up to 5 years (10 for cancer) after retirement.

A safety officer should not blindly rely on these presumptions. All the employer needs to do is to submit evidence to the contrary and the presumption may be rebutted. Unless you have a medical report in support of the presumption, you lose. The message here is simple: Don’t take chances with your rights; know the facts!