Village of Vernon Hills v. Heelan

This case presents question as to whether trial court properly found that plaintiff-Village was obligated under section 10 of Public Safety Employee Benefits Act to pay defendant’s health insurance premiums, where defendant had previously been awarded line-of-duty disability pension by Bd. of Trustees of Vernon Hills Police Pension Fund. While Village argued that trial court erred in finding that pension board’s award of line-of-duty disability pension precluded Village from presenting evidence as to whether defendant had suffered qualifying “catastrophic injury,” Appellate Court, in affirming trial court, found that award of instant pension precluded Village from seeking in discovery or presenting any evidence at trial with respect to nature and extent of defendant’s injury, and that nothing remained to be litigated with respect to issue as to whether plaintiff was required to pay defendant’s medical insurance premiums. (Dissent filed.)