Prison Guard Disability Attorneys

The Heart and Lung Act or the Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law

In response to the very real dangers that police, firefighters, corrections officers, and prison guards face on a daily basis, the Pennsylvania legislature has enacted The Heart and Lung Act. This Act, also known as the Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law, which applies to all municipal employees who put themselves in danger to perform public services, ensures that those injured during the course of duty are entitled to special benefits under the law.

The law extends to prison guards, stating that:

"correction officers employed by the Department of Corrections whose principal duty is the care, custody and control of inmates," and the act's statutes "provide for the payment of the salary, medical and hospital expenses of members of the State Police Force, (etc…) who are injured or contract certain diseases in the performance of their duty; and providing that absence during such injury shall not reduce any usual sick leave period".

This Act is extremely specialized, and its interpretation is best left to experienced Pennsylvania Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law attorneys who have dealt with it in the past. Some facts about the legislation include:

• Injured employees receive 100% of their pay (tax-free) if unable to work
• Heart and Lung Act benefits do not prevent for application of workers' comp benefits. These benefits will be reimbursed to the employer paying the Heart & Lung Act benefits
• Injured workers do not have to use sick leave to cover time lost

Our police, firemen, corrections officers, and prison guards all serve a vital public need. They protect the citizenry and private property of this country. Prison guards and corrections officers especially, are charged with a very serious duty of ensuring that the individuals society has deemed dangerous are supervised properly while they are rehabilitated. We ask prison guards to care, protect, and oversee our most dangerous individuals and these officers should be compensated for any injuries they receive during the course of their work.

Our Heart and Lung Act attorneys at Anapol Schwartz believe that prison guards who are injured during the course of duty deserve the highest level of legal representation and care. We are committed to protecting our clients' rights under the law and ensuring that they receive just compensation for their injuries. Contact us today for a free consultation of your case.

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