Mazza v. Board of Trustees

This appeal concerns the eligibility of an Essex County Park Police officer for retirement disability benefits. The disability arose when the officer’s horse bucked and “reared up,” causing the officer’s body to twist in the saddle and suffer a disabling rupture of spinal discs. Officer Mazza’s body went numb; he slumped over and lay on the saddle until his horse that “had ridden the trails for years ... brought [him] back to the barn.” It is undisputed that Officer - Mazza will receive at least ordinary disability benefits, which approximate 40 per cent of his average final compensation. At…