Justices Carve Out 'Traumatic Event' Criteria

A corrections officer thrown to the ground while trying to detain an inmate suffered a traumatic event, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled. In Richardson v. Board of Trustees, A-100, 07/24/2007, the state Supreme Court found that the claimant was wrongly denied accidental disability benefits by the Board of Trustees because an inmate's violent resistance is not a typical event. "In sum, the fact that a member is injured while performing his ordinary duties does not disqualify him from receiving accidental disability benefits; some injuries sustained during ordinary work effort will p...