Contact us immediately. You have a very limited window of time within which to appeal. If you do not appeal the determination within the prescribed time period, you may substantially jeopardize your rights. Often, PERA will reverse its initial denial after the submission of additional evidence supporting your application or after a contested hearing before an administrative law judge.

Yes! You have a very limited window of time within which to appeal PERA’s determination, so it’s critical that you act quickly. It is common for PERA to award a regular disability benefit if there is insufficient evidence submitted to support that an individual’s disability meets the duty disability criteria. We are happy to provide a consultation to determine whether your claim meets the duty disability criteria. PERA frequently reverses its initial determination after the submission of additional evidence supporting your application or after a contested hearing before an administrative law judge.

It depends. You always have the option of applying for benefits on your own. When you call Meuser Law Office, you can be assured that we will always give you an honest assessment of your claim and help you determine whether or not you would benefit from our help in preparing your application. Unfortunately, it is very easy for individuals, even attorneys, who are unfamiliar with PERA to make mistakes under the law — mistakes which can cost you benefits and delay when you receive them. With the assistance of our experienced attorneys we will ensure that your application includes all available evidence to fully support your claim for benefits.

The first course of action is to file an appeal. Depending on what was submitted with the original application, sometimes PERA will reverse its determination based on the submission of additional evidence. Otherwise, a fact-finding conference may be held before an administrative law judge. In this situation, PERA makes a determination based on the judge’s findings.

Possibly. If you have less than 20 years of service, and you are over the age of 55, you can still apply for duty disability benefits. If you have over 20 years of service, and are over the age of 55, you may still be eligible for health insurance continuation benefits under Minn. Stat. §299A.465. If you have less than 15 years of service, and are over the age of 55, you can still apply for a regular disability benefit, but you may want to compare the regular disability benefit rate with your regular retirement benefit rate to see which is the better option. If you are struggling with an injury and are approaching the age of 55, it is critical that you explore your options before you reach age 55.

No. For duty disability benefits, there is no “minimum years of service” requirement. You can be disabled the first day on the job and still qualify for duty disability benefits. If you are applying for regular disability benefits, you must have a minimum of one year of service covered under the PERA Police and Fire Plan.

Yes. PTSD and other psychological disabilities are explicitly covered under PERA. Our firm has handled numerous PERA applications for police officers and firefighters who suffer from PTSD.

Generally, yes. Most people who receive PERA are able to receive both disability benefits and workers’ compensation benefits. Coordinating both types of benefits can be complicated. If you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits and PERA duty disability benefits, your PERA benefit will be reduced dollar-for-dollar if you exceed 100% of your salary at the time of your disability, or the current salary for the same or a similar position, whichever is higher. If you are working in another job, but earning less money, PERA will reduce one dollar for every three that you exceed 125% of your salary at the time of your disability, or the current salary for the same or a similar position, whichever is higher. For recipients of PERA regular disability benefits, your benefit will be reduced dollar-for-dollar if the combination of your workers’ compensation benefits, re-employment earnings, and PERA benefits exceeds 100% of your salary at the time of your disability. Because our attorneys are experienced in both workers’ compensation and PERA disability, we can help you navigate the legal and procedural complexities to make sure you maximize your benefits from all sources.

You must apply for disability benefits within 18 months after your termination from public service. PERA disability benefits are payable retroactively up to 90 days prior to the date of your application, after you have exhausted all employer-based pay.

Yes! We have successfully handled numerous claims for PERA disability benefits involving claims that the workers’ compensation insurer has denied or disputed.

Yes! With the exception of Permanent and Total Disability benefits under the PERA Police and Fire Plan you may work in almost any other field without impacting your eligibility for benefits. If you are working in another capacity, your PERA disability benefit will only be reduced one dollar for every three if you receive a combination of re-employment earnings, workers’ compensation, and PERA benefits that exceed of 125% of your salary at the time of your disability or the current salary of the same or a similar position, whichever is higher.

It depends. We routinely handle claims involving injuries which may have originated back two years, five years, even twenty years ago. There are specific rules that apply under PERA and MSRS involving injuries that occurred over two years ago. Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, if your injury is more than two years old, you may need to demonstrate that you are unable to perform the duties you performed during the last 90 days you worked. Consult us for more specific information regarding the circumstances of your case.

No. Several years ago, the legislature revised the duty disability requirements for all plans under PERA and MSRS. Prior to that, any work-related injury could qualify as an in-the-line-of-duty disability. Currently, under the PERA Police and Fire Plan, an applicant must show that his or her disability was incurred while performing duties that are inherently dangerous and specific to his or her position.

No. As a rule, no court has recognized the right of an employer to participate in any proceedings related to PERA disability eligibility. They do, however, have the opportunity to submit information as part of the application process.

Duty Disability Benefits and Permanent and Total Duty Disability Benefits pay at virtually the same rate. The primary two differences in the benefits are that 1) Permanent and Total Duty Disability benefits are non-taxable for life, whereas Duty Disability benefits convert to a taxable retirement benefit at age 55 or after 5 years, whichever is longer, and 2) Permanent and Total Duty Disability benefits provide for an automatic survivor benefit at no cost to the beneficiary, whereas election of a survivor option for Duty Disability beneficiaries results in a reduction of the net monthly benefit amount. In order to qualify for PERA Permanent and Total Duty Disability benefits, an applicant must show that he or she not only meets the requirements for a Duty Disability, but that he or she is also incapable of performing any substantial gainful employment for a period of at least a year. There are some important workers’ compensation coordination issues that come into play when it comes to deciding whether to apply for a PERA Duty Disability or a Permanent and Total Duty Disability benefit. Meuser Law Office can help you decide which benefit is best for you and your family.

Yes. While we generally prefer to handle both the PERA claims and the workers’ compensation claims involved on a case simply because of the coordination issues that arise, we can and do handle claims for PERA benefits where an individual is represented by a separate workers’ compensation attorney.

We charge a reasonable hourly fee for our services. We are happy to work with you as special circumstances may require to ensure our services are as affordable as possible.

Contact our office to schedule a free, no obligation consultation with one of our experienced attorneys today. At Meuser Law Office, we have successfully represented many corrections officers throughout the state of Minnesota for workers’ compensation and disability benefits.