IN RE: the David J. LAMAR (2024)

Judgment (denominated an order), Supreme Court, New York County (Arlene Bluth, J.), entered July 12, 2022, granting the petition to annul respondents’ determination, which denied petitioner's application for accidental disability retirement (ADR), benefits, and awarding him ADR benefits retroactive to the date of his retirement, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, the petition denied, and the proceeding brought pursuant to CPLR article 78 dismissed.

Respondents’ determination was supported by ample credible evidence, consisting of the 2002 and 2018 MRIs and the October 10, 2018 CT scan, which revealed osteoarthritis and degenerative conditions in both of petitioner's knees.  Although his doctors disagreed and opined that his disability resulted from line of duty injuries, it is the sole province of the Medical Board and the Trustees to resolve conflicts in evidence (see Matter of Higgins v. Kelly, 84 A.D.3d 520, 520–521, 921 N.Y.S.2d 856 [1st Dept. 2011], lv denied 18 N.Y.3d 806, 2012 WL 444070 [2012]).  The court rejected the Medical Board's conclusion that petitioner's underlying conditions were not exacerbated by the line of duty injuries.  However, the Medical Board expressly considered this possibility and rejected it based on its expertise, review of petitioner's medical records and the physical examination of petitioner.  The court should have deferred to the Medical Board's expertise (see Matter of Creegan v. Board of Trustees of N.Y. City Police Pension Fund Art. II, 7 A.D.3d 335, 335, 775 N.Y.S.2d 867 [1st Dept. 2004]).  It cannot be determined as a matter of law that the arthritis and other degenerative conditions suffered by petitioner were exacerbated by the line of duty incidents (see Matter of Meyer v. Board of Trustees of N.Y. City Fire Dept., Art. I–B Pension Fund, 90 N.Y.2d 139, 151–152, 659 N.Y.S.2d 215, 681 N.E.2d 382 [1997];  Matter of Russell v. New York City Fire Pension Fund, 192 A.D.3d 442, 443, 139 N.Y.S.3d 805 [1st Dept. 2021]).