RCRC, joined by the League of California Cities, has filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the California Supreme Court supporting Trinity County in the case of Gund v. County of Trinity. This case concerns liability for injuries sustained by civilians who assist law enforcement, and the circumstances under which those injuries are covered under workers' compensation.
The issue is of special interest to rural counties, as the large geographic areas and scarce law enforcement resources increase the opportunities for civilian assistance in law enforcement.
RCRC’s brief argues that civilians injured while assisting law enforcement officers in responding to 911 calls should receive compensation guaranteed through the workers’ compensation system, rather than suing the law enforcement agency in civil court, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident. This is important both to protect counties and cities from substantial liability exposure, but also to ensure that injured civilians are certain to receive workers’ compensation benefits regardless of the nature of the assistance provided to law enforcement. The friend-of-the-court brief can be accessed here.