Minnesota PERA and MSRS Disability Lawyers

PERA and MSRS Disability Attorney

Minnesota’s top PERA and MSRS lawyers. Here for you and your family.

Do you serve as a police officer, state trooper, firefighter, or correctional officer? Were you injured in the line of duty? The attorneys at Meshbesher & Spence are here to help Minnesotans like you. We’re uniquely experienced in both workers’ compensation and PERA and MSRS claims.

In Minnesota, PERA and MSRS provide benefits that make a big difference, like health insurance through the age of 65 for you and your family; a benefit created expressly for first responders and the dangerous work they take on every day.

Our attorneys know the ins and outs of workers’ compensation and PERA and MSRS disability claims. We help you navigate the morass of rules and regulations. We coordinate benefits to maximize the money you’ll receive from all sources.

You have a tough job. You want a partner who’ll be just as tough protecting you.

Contact Meshbesher & Spence. The lawyer you choose makes a difference.®

To speak to a lawyer: 1-888-632-3495

Do I qualify for PERA or MSRS disability benefits?

In Minnesota, police officers, firefighters, state troopers, HCMC paramedics, and corrections officers may be entitled to PERA and/or MSRS disability benefits after a work-related injury. These benefits are in addition to workers’ compensation benefits.

The following qualifications must be met for PERA disability or MSRS disability benefits:

• Your disability must be expected to last for at least 12 months.
• Your disability must be incurred while you were performing inherently dangerous duties that are specific to your position.
• You must be an active public servant at the time you become disabled.
• You must be able to prove that you are unable to perform the duties that your position requires.
• Your application for benefits must be made within 18 months of ending your employment.
• You cannot already be receiving a PERA or MSRS pension.

What am I eligible for?

• PERA Police and Fire Disability benefits are tax-free disability benefits, paid at a base rate of 60% of a disabled officer, firefighter, or HCMC paramedic’s average high five salary. These benefits remain tax-free until the disabled police officer, firefighter, or HCMC paramedic reaches the age of 55. If an officer or firefighter has years of service that exceed 20 years, they will receive an additional 3% per each additional year of service above 20; however, this amount is taxable.
• PERA Corrections Disability benefits are tax-free disability benefits paid at a base rate of 47.5% of a disabled corrections officer’s average high five salary. These benefits are completely untaxed until a corrections officer reaches the age of 55. At the age of 55, the corrections officer’s gross pay remains the same–but, their benefits become taxable.
• MSRS State Patrol Plan Disability benefits are tax-free benefits, paid at a base rate of 60% of a state trooper’s average high five salary. These benefits are tax-free until the disabled state trooper reaches the age of 55. If a state trooper has more than 20 years of service, the trooper will receive an additional 3% for each year of service above 20. These additional monies are taxable.
• MSRS Corrections Plan Disability benefits are tax-free benefits, paid at a base rate of 50% of a corrections officer’s high five salary. These benefits are nontaxable until a corrections officer reaches the age of 55. At the age of 55, the corrections officer’s gross pay remains the same, but their benefits become taxable.

There are specific offset provisions that apply to PERA and MSRS disability benefits that may affect your workers’ compensation case and the amount you may earn in the future. To talk about the specifics of your case and how to maximize the benefits available to you from all sources, call a knowledgeable attorney at Meshbesher & Spence.

299A.465 Continuation of healthcare benefits.

A police officer, firefighter, or state trooper who is eligible to receive duty disability benefits is also eligible to receive employer-paid health insurance benefits until the age of 65. As a general rule, the type of coverage the police officer, firefighter, or state trooper receives is dependent upon the coverage they were receiving at the time of disablement (e.g. single coverage or family coverage).

These benefits are available to police officers, firefighters, and state troopers pursuant to Minnesota Statute Sec. 299A.465. An officer, firefighter, or trooper’s entitlement to these benefits can be appealed by his or her employer. These benefits are not available to corrections officers, or paramedics receiving duty disability benefits, or to police officers and firefighters receiving regular disability benefits.

PTSD is common. What’s your legal plan?

It’s estimated that up to 35% of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders suffer from PTSD. It’s real. It’s traumatic. It can lead to self-medication and abusive behaviors. And it’s worth having an experienced lawyer to lead the fight for you.

Call us to determine if you are eligible.

Meshbesher & Spence will be there through every step of the process. For quick reference, know the FAQs.

For the best handling of your case, consult an experienced Minnesota lawyer today

The lawyers at Meshbesher & Spence have experience that will guide you through your claim, and will help you navigate the insurance and liability confusion that can ensue when accidents happen. Our staff will make sure that any legal and insurance problems are handled promptly so that you can recover full compensation. Our staff can quickly bring in an investigator to document the incident by interviewing witnesses, taking photographs, and doing whatever else is necessary to seek out the true cause of the accident. This step is very important and will greatly impact the outcome of your claim.

We offer free case evaluation with no obligations, no recovery and no fees.

When so much is at stake, you deserve the best

When you hire an attorney from Meshbesher & Spence, you will not be asked to pay any attorney fees until the case is resolved and you receive compensation. In the event that you do not recover compensation for your injuries, you will not be asked to pay anything. This kind of pay structure is called a “contingent fee agreement,” and means that you have no reason not to hire the very best, most experienced lawyers in Minnesota to represent you. Meshbesher & Spence has recovered damages for thousands of Minnesota families; you can count on them to fight hard for you. The lawyer you choose truly does make a difference.