Opinion ID: 2085388
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Pension Code

Text: Article XXII, division 3, of the Pension Code authorizes a municipality to enact an ordinance providing death and medical benefits for police officers and firefighters who are injured or killed while performing their duties. 40 ILCS 5/22-301 (death), 22-306 (medical) (West 1996). The City has enacted such an ordinance pursuant to this division of the Pension Code. See Chicago Municipal Code § 3-8-010 et seq. (1990). Indeed, we note that, with an exception not relevant to this case, firefighters in cities with populations exceeding 200,000 are expressly exempted from the Workers' Compensation Act. 820 ILCS 305/1(b)(1) (West 1996). We also note that these payments are in addition to payments firefighters or their survivors would receive from the Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund when a firefighter is disabled or dies while performing his or her duties. See 40 ILCS 5/6-101 et seq. (West 1996). Pension Code section 22-307 limits the liability of a municipality that enacts an ordinance pursuant to article XXII, division 3: Whenever any city or village enacts an ordinance pursuant to this Division, no common law or statutory right to recover damages against such city or village for injury or death sustained by any policeman or fireman while engaged in the line of his duty as such policeman or fireman, other than the payment of the allowances of money and of the medical care and hospital treatment provided in such ordinance, shall be available to any policeman or fireman who is covered by the provisions of such ordinance    or to anyone who would otherwise be entitled to recover damages for such injury or death. 40 ILCS 5/22-307 (West 1996). As is readily apparent, the language of Pension Code section 22-307 is nearly identical to section 5(a) of the Workers' Compensation Act. Also, Pension Code section 22-308, tracking the language of section 5(b) of the Workers' Compensation Act, requires a police officer or firefighter who has received death benefits under Pension Code section 22-301 to reimburse the municipality from any recovery the employee's estate receives from a third party. The section also creates a corresponding lien in favor of the municipality. Compare 40 ILCS 5/22-308 (West 1996) with 820 ILCS 305/5(b) (West 1996).