O'Connell v. County of Cook

Summary

The court held that an employee's status for purposes of ordinary disability benefits is determined when the employee applies for and is granted the benefit, not when the employer later terminates employment. Because termination is not a statutory event ending the benefit, the Board had to continue payments and the County had to continue required contributions, so the declaratory judgment and mandamus claims were sufficiently pleaded. The court also held that the protected benefit interest supported the employee's due process claim and remanded for further proceedings.