Patterson v. Board of Trustees, State Police Retirement System

Once again we are called upon to address the “traumatic event” standard under the accidental disability retirement provisions of the State Police Retirement System (SPRS), N.J.S.A. 53:5A-1 to - 47, and the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS), N.J.S.A. 43:16A-1 to -68. In particular, we have been asked to determine whether an applicant who has suffered a permanent mental disability as a result of a mental stressor, without any physical impact, can be considered to have experienced a “traumatic event” and, if so, what standard should apply in assessing such a claim.

We conclude that…