Opinion ID: 2371251
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Retirement Board's Ruling

Text: The Retirement Board found that, as a result of the September 11th events, FF Leach suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to smoke inhalation, and psychological ailments in the form of chronic post traumatic stress disorder and chronic major depressive disorder. The Retirement Board chiefly relied on the testimonies of Dr. Filson and Dr. Smith-Jefferies to determine that the pulmonary disease and FF Leach's psychiatric diagnosis could be attributed to the September 11th incident. The Retirement Board, however, concluded that the back injury, specifically the status post anterior diskectomy, L5-S1, was not related to September 11th. The Board noted Dr. Smith-Jefferies testified that the back injury more likely occurred from something other than an on duty incident. The Board specifically credited Dr. Smith-Jefferies's testimony that, The back injury also, the timing was a bit of an issue. I believe that when we had the initial injury, [FF Leach] said that he felt a pop in his back, and that's what he recounted to me later.... [H]e did not report back pain or popping at the time he was seen in the hospital. Thus, the Retirement Board concluded, the medical diagnosis of status post anterior diskectomy, L5-S1, is a non-performance of duty injury. Finally, the Board found that FF Leach's physical and psychological issues precluded him from performing useful and efficient service in a full duty status with the fire department. However, the Retirement Board concluded that FF Leach had the physical and intellectual capacity, education/training, and experience to occupy other employment in the D.C. Metropolitan area. While the Retirement Board took Dr. Bussey's report into consideration, which objected to the jobs in the Labor Market Survey, the Board did not to rely on the report because [it] described positions [FF Leach] may be able to perform based on his limitations and skill-set.