Deputy's Refusal of Surgery Results in Denial of Duty Disability Retirement

The Court of Appeal for the 2nd District of California ruled that an injured deputy sheriff was properly denied a service-connected disability retirement due to his unreasonable refusal to undergo recommended medical treatment. Alberto Mendoza worked as a deputy sheriff for Ventura County and was assigned to the Todd Road Jail Facility. On Dec. 30, 2014, Mendoza slipped while going up stairs at the facility. He allegedly experienced back pain after this incident. Mendoza underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan of his lumbar spine on May 20, 2015. The results showed degenerative disc dis...