Cumulative claims common

Dave Brooks

A disability benefit recently invoked by City Councilman Gil Coerper

is commonly used by Huntington Beach Police, padding one of the

city’s largest public pension systems.

On Feb. 7, the City Council approved a $121,382 settlement agreement with the Coerper, who served for 20 years on the city’s

police force, finishing his tenure as a friendly fixture at the

department’s front desk.

Coerper did not participate in the settlement talks, but argued in

a claim filed with the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board that the

stress of the job left him with unspecified injuries to “his whole

body.” His fellow council members awarded him $230 a week for the

next decade to settle his claim.

Huntington Beach Risk Manager Karen Foster estimates that about

50% of police officers file some sort of cumulative trauma claim upon

retirement, often for unspecified injuries they received while

working for the city.

“Often they file a continuos trauma claim for all the various

injuries they’ve sustained over the course of their career,” Foster

said.

Foster said she had no specific information available regarding

how many retired officers file cumulative trauma claims or how much

is spent each year. According to a memo filed with the California

Labor Department, Huntington Beach spent more than $4 million on a

164 worker’s compensation claims during 2003-04 with $2.3 million

covering medical bills. The city faces another $5.6 million in future

liabilities for unsettled claims -- equal to roughly 7% of the money

Huntington Beach allocates each year to pay its 1,420 employees.

Officers like Coerper who file compensation claims paid out over

several years also receive medical benefits until their claim is paid

off.

“If he goes to a doctor on conditions listed in his claim, we pay

for it,” Foster said.

Money from the disability claim can be a nice padding on top of an

already large pension. Huntington Beach Police receive 3% of their

final salary for every year on the force, capping out at 90%. Coerper

will bring in an additional $12,000 a year for his claim.

Councilman Dave Sullivan said he wanted to learn more about the

claims.

“I’m concerned when I see a figure like 50% and I would like to

know what the percentage is in other cities in Orange County,” he

said. “It certainly involves a lot of taxpayer money.”

Written requests for information about claims made in other Orange

County cities were pending at press time.