DALA Reverses Lawrence Retirement Board in PTSD Disability Case

In Francis Bradley v. Lawrence Retirement Board, DALA issued a major decision recognizing the profound impact of repeated traumatic events on first responders and reaffirming the right to accidental disability retirement for PTSD when causation is proven. Former Lawrence Police Officer Francis Bradley served the community for more than two decades, regularly responding to disturbing calls as both a patrol officer and former EMT. Although he had long been exposed to traumatic situations, his condition sharply deteriorated following a January 18, 2021 shooting in which he performed CPR on a young gunshot victim who survived but was left quadriplegic. Bradley testified that after this incident he suffered nightmares, anxiety, irritability, physical illness before shifts, and an inability to perform his duties in the way he once could. Bradley testified that he did not report his symptoms because of the strong stigma within police culture around acknowledging psychological injury. A prior traumatic event, the August 2020 hit-and-run that permanently disabled a close friend and fellow officer, fell outside the statutory two-year window but was found to have contributed to an underlying condition later aggravated to the point of disability.

The Lawrence Retirement Board had denied Bradley’s claim, suggesting that he fabricated PTSD symptoms after losing an earlier Heart Law application. But DALA rejected that theory entirely. The administrative magistrate emphasized credible testimony, detailed medical records, and, most importantly, a unanimous regional medical panel of three psychiatrists who each concluded that Bradley was permanently incapacitated by PTSD and that the January 2021 shooting was the natural and proximate cause. The decision underscores that first responders often delay reporting mental health symptoms due to workplace culture and fear of career consequences—and such delay does not disqualify an otherwise valid claim. Finding that Bradley met his burden of proof on causation and disability, DALA reversed the Board’s denial and ordered that he is entitled to accidental disability retirement benefits.