Barringer v. Retirement Board of the Firemen's Annuity & Benefit Fund

PRESIDING JUSTICE QUINN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant Retirement Board of the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago (Board) denied plaintiff Robert Barringer’s application for occupational disease disability benefits. The circuit court upheld the Board’s decision. On appeal, plaintiff contends that the Board’s decision was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

The record reveals that on January 7, 1997, plaintiff, who was employed as a paramedic with the Chicago fire department, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Seven weeks later, plaintiff underwent…