The Ordinary and Accidental Disability Retirement Process

Join us in person or virtually for a panel discussion on the process of filing an application for ordinary and accidental disability requirement benefits, and a review of the steps once the application is filed.

Specific topics will include:

• The initial interview process, including what information to collect from the applicant;
• The process for assembling five years of the applicant’s medical records, personnel file, incident reports, job description, etc., and the completion of the application;
• The nuances of the particular board where the applicant will be filing his/her application, e.g., will the board schedule and conduct a hearing on the merits of the application prior to processing it or, assuming the application is complete, just forward it to the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) for processing?
• Presumptions (heart, lung and cancer);
• The medical panel process;
• Post-medical-panel proceedings before the board, requests for clarifications, etc.;
• The board’s perspective;
• PERAC review of the application and the determination of the applicant’s retirement date;
• Final board meeting and considerations concerning whether the application will be approved;
• Appeals to the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA) and the proper handling of the appeal, assembly of the record, etc.;
• Post-DALA appeals, Contributory Retirement Appeal Board, Superior Court, Appeals Court, etc.; and
• Attorneys’ fees.

This program will be held at the Massachusetts Bar Association, 20 West St., Boston. The program will also be hosted using Zoom. Registration is required by noon on Wednesday, March 27, to participate in the program. An email from MassBar Education with the Webinar ID and Password will be sent before the program.