Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits LawThe law enforcement officers in the United States are protected by Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law for the period of temporary disability. The law is known as Heart and Lung Act in the unofficial terms. The law was conceived to cover various law enforcement officials. An amendment has been made in the law by Act 95 of 2006. This amendment was introduced to cover county sheriffs and deputy sheriffs of a city under the law. This amendment has become effective from January 1, 2007. The Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law is designed to provide certain specific benefits to the defined law enforcement personnel. These benefits are mainly provided in case of total temporary disability. The law's unofficial name Heart and Lung Act is derived from one aspect of the law. The aspect establishes a legal presumption. Under this presumption if an employee develops a heart disease or a problem in the respiratory system after four continuous years of service, it is presumed to be caused by the work included in his/her employment. However the real effect of the act or law is much broader. This act or law is known to cover various temporary as well as full disabilities, related to the nature of the work done by the enforcement officers. The disabilities covered under the law are very similar to the one mentioned in the workers' compensation system. It mainly includes the various work related injuries that can lead to temporary or permanent disability. However the law treats them differently than they are treated under the workers' compensation system. Also the law provides better and more generous benefits to the disable officers in comparison to what they get as a part of the workers' compensation. The enforcement officers receive these benefits in case they get injured while performing their official duty. The injury has to be temporary in nature and should completely prevent the officer from doing his/her job during this temporary period. All these criterions have to be met by the injured officer to receive benefits under the enforcement officer disability benefits law. An enforcement officer if able to successfully claim the benefits is set to receive his/her full rate of salary. Also he/she continues to receive the benefits that are fixed by resolution or ordinance. This includes things like interest arbitration award or collective bargaining agreement. All these benefits continue throughout the entire period of the covered disability. The best thing about the enforcements officer disability law is that it helps the officers to avoid the financial problems that can happen due to a leave from work. This helps them take care of their family till the time they come back on the job. |