Rainwater Grate,Ductile Cast Iron Tree Grating,Ductile Cast Iron Circlip Grate,Square Ductile Cast Iron Trench Cover Wuan Jianfeng Casting Co., Ltd. , https://www.hbjfcasting.com
Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
A recent case involving a Buffalo Grove firefighter who passed away from colon cancer has reached the Second District Appellate Court. The matter centers on whether the widow and four children of Kevin Hauber, a 51-year-old firefighter, should receive full pension benefits as a result of his death being classified as a line-of-duty incident.
The Village of Buffalo Grove is appealing a decision that granted the family 100% of the line-of-duty death pension. This ruling was initially approved by the Firefighters’ Pension Board in 2018 and later upheld by a Lake County Circuit Court judge earlier this year. However, the village believes this decision could set a costly precedent for future cases.
Village officials argue that while Hauber served with distinction for 23 years, including over 127 fire calls, the legal requirements for a full line-of-duty benefit were not met. According to the village attorney, there is no direct evidence showing that Hauber was exposed to carcinogens or toxic smoke that led to his cancer.
On the other hand, the Hauber family's legal team argues that the job description for firefighters explicitly includes exposure to hazardous materials. They claim that such exposure is an inherent part of the role, making it reasonable to consider his cancer as work-related.
During the hearing, Appellate Justice Joseph Birkett noted that Hauber had no family history of colon cancer, and genetic testing confirmed this. He was healthy, non-drinking, and had no known predisposition to the disease. However, he did have extensive exposure to fires and was regularly exposed to smoke and chemicals.
The village attorney pointed out that Hauber never filed any formal complaints about potential exposure to harmful substances during his career. Despite this, the pension board ruled that his service contributed to his illness, leading to an additional $25,000 annually in benefits for his family.
Currently, the family is already receiving 75% of Hauber’s final salary as a surviving spouse benefit, which amounts to around $76,161 per year. The additional $25,000 brings their total to approximately $101,000 annually. The village estimates that granting the full 100% benefit would cost them an extra $1.7 million.
As the appellate court continues its review, the outcome will have significant implications for how line-of-duty deaths are evaluated and compensated in the future.