Connecticut high court overturns comp benefits for injured firefighter

The Connecticut Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that permitted a firefighter to collect heart disease benefits.

The high court reversed a state appellate court decision upholding a Compensation Review Board determination permitting benefits for Christopher Clark, a part-time firefighter with the Cohanzie Fire Department.

Mr. Clark sought heart disease benefits in August 2017, two months after suffering a heart attack that required quadruple bypass surgery.

The town of Waterford contested compensability because Mr. Clark didn’t work full-time until June 1997; he was hired part-time in 1992.

A comp commissioner approved the claim, and the review board upheld the approval, a decision affirmed by a lower appellate court.

The employer appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the case was wrongly decided since heart disease benefits were only afforded to firefighters who worked more than 20 hours per week, which Mr. Clark failed to prove.

While acknowledging part-time firefighters perform the same functions as full-time members, the high court said the town isn’t required to pay part-timers benefits under the statute.

The court sent the case back to the comp commissioner to further determine benefit eligibility.