Joplin firefighter sues the city over pension - KOAM TV 7

Joplin firefighter sues the city over pension

A judge will decide if a former Joplin firefighter injured on the job will receive more pension money.

Tom Robertson says he was injured on the job a little more than a year ago.  A structure fire affected his lungs.

Both the city and Robertson himself came to the agreement he could no longer work.

But the city and Robertson disagree over how Joplin's ordinance is being used to calculate pension.

Joplin's Board of Trustees agreed Robertson would receive 37.5% of his average monthly compensation.

But Robertson was a firefighter for 15 years, and the city generally says a firefighter employed less than 20 years is given less compensation.

Robertson's attorney, Dan Tobben, contends Joplin's compensation plan for Robertson should include "duty disability" with more money.

"I don't want to be sensationalistic, but the city's position with respects to its younger police officers and fire fighters will render them welfare recipients," says Tobben.

Attorneys agreed to give the judge more paperwork on the city's rules before he makes his decision on whether Robertson should be given more compensation.

The judge could hand down a decision in the next six weeks.