Injured officers are usually surprised to learn they can collect tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for injuries which occur during stolen car chases, dog knockdowns, slip and falls on defective premises, assaults by persons during arrests and serving warrants, falls on snow and ice, responses to rescue victims and hit and run accidents.

Injured police officers often assume their receipt of base wages from the City under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 111F legally bars them from any further recovery in connection with their injury. Others often believe their superiors will be upset with them if they make such claims and they are afraid of rocking the boat. This is especially true of new officers.

Police officers are not second class citizens. They have the same rights as any other citizen to be compensated for their injuries. The governing statute, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 111F, under which injured police officers are paid their base wages while out injured on duty, authorizes the same injured officers to go to Court and bring actions to further recover compensation for their injuries. In fact, if the injured officer does not bring an action against the third party responsible for his injury, the City paying him § 111F benefits is authorized to do so by the same passage in the statute.

The City paying the injured officer pursuant to G.L. c. 41, § 111F is entitled to recoup from the responsible third party all monies which it has paid the officer for his injured on duty wages and for his medical expenses pursuant to G.L. c. 41, § 100. When an injured officer brings an action against the responsible third party, he is responsible under G.L. c. 41, §111F to reimburse the City for monies which it has paid out from any monies which he recovers. It is therefore in the City’s financial interest that the injured officer pursue his rights. It becomes a win-win situation for both the City and the injured officer.