Application for accidental disability retirement benefits rejected on finding that the alleged disability was not suffered in the performance of the applicant's duties.

Plaintiff in CPLR Article 78 action appealed Supreme Court's dismissal of her petition seeking to have the court annul the New York City Employees' Retirement System's [NYCERS] determination denying Plaintiff's application for accidental disability retirement [ADR]. Plaintiff appealed.

Citing Borenstein v New York City Employees' Retirement System, 88 NY2d 756, the Appellate Division sustained Supreme Court's ruling, concluding that the denial of Plaintiff's application for ADR was "not arbitrary and capricious, but [was] based on credible evidence in the record."

The court noted NYCERS' findings that:

[1] Plaintiff was neither physically nor mentally incapacitated based on her medical and mental health records, an independent psychiatric examination, and her interview before NYCERS' Medical Board;

[2] There was no contemporaneous evidence showing the circumstances of a physical assault on Plaintiff by her coworker as described by the Plaintiff during the administrative proceeding on the date she set out in her application for ADR; and

[3] The alleged physical and psychological injuries caused by the alleged physical assault did not result from an accident or arise in the course of Plaintiff's performance of her duties.

As to Plaintiff's claim that she was deprived of due process, the Appellate Division said that allegation "is belied by the record showing that she was given an adequate opportunity to present her case before [the NYCERS]."

The decision is posted on the Internet at

http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2020/2020_06229.htm.