Florida Railroad Disability Annuities Lawyer

Mr. Evan Zagoria, Florida Railroad Disability Annuities Lawyer, has been representing railroad workers in their disability annuity claims before the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board for almost 25 years.

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, whose headquarters are in Chicago at 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, IL, 60611-1275, is a co-equal agency to the Social Security Administration. Workers with less than 5 years of creditable railroad service, generally, must file with SSA. Employees with 60 or more months of creditable railroad service generally must file with the RRB. Service months need not be consecutive. Credit for a month of railroad service is given for every month in which an employee had some compensated service. For an employee covered by the Railroad Retirement Act, credit is given even if only one day’s service is performed in the month. The Railroad Retirement Board has adopted the Social Security Administration disability criteria and system, with just a few exceptions.

The United States Railroad Retirement Board: http://www.rrb.gov

Types of Disability Annuity Benefits

Total Disability, at any age, if an employee is permanently disabled for all regular work and has at least 10 years (120 months) of creditable railroad service.  Employees with 5-9 years (60-119 months) of creditable railroad service, with at least 5 years service after 1995, may qualify for tier I only (as defined below) before retirement age on basis of total disability if they also meet certain social security earnings requirements. An age reduced Tier II amount would be payable at age 62.

This “Total Disability” for the RRB is largely identical to the SSA system, using the grid rules, etc.

Occupational Disability, at age 60 if an employee has at least 10 years of railroad service or at any age if the employee has at least 20 years (240 months) of service when the employee is permanently disabled for his or her regular railroad occupation. An annuity based on occupational, rather than total, disability also requires a “current connection” with the railroad industry.

• A 5-month waiting period beginning with the month after the month of the onset of disability is required before any disability annuity payments can begin.
• An employee can be in compensated service while filing a disability annuity application as long as the compensated service is not active service and terminates within 90 days from the date of filing.
• In order for a supplemental annuity to be paid by the RRB, or for an eligible spouse to begin receiving annuity payments, a disabled annuitant under full retirement age must relinquish employment rights.

Please also see our article regarding RR disability information.

Florida Railroad Disability Annuities Lawyer on Your Side. Call Today!

Our skilled attorneys represent federal employees in advice on filing questions, assisting with applications, and representing clients in their appeals. This can be a difficult time for you, injured and then denied benefits critical to your family’s well-being.  Paperwork can be mountainous and confusing, with deadlines that may not necessarily be clear. Don’t try to navigate a Railroad Disability Annuities claim alone.  Contact Lieberman & Zagoria, P.A. for your free consultation.

Article Link: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/legal/article_1125.shtml