Nancy Broadhurst v. Employees Retirement System of Texas

**What Happened** Nancy Broadhurst worked for the Texas state retirement system and developed a back injury from sitting in a chair at work. She applied for occupational disability retirement benefits, claiming her injury was work-related and severe enough to prevent her from doing her job. The retirement system's board denied her application, so she took the matter to court. **What the Court Decided** The Texas Court of Appeals sided with the retirement system. The court ruled that Broadhurst's back injury from sitting in a chair did not qualify as an "occupational disability" under state law. The court upheld the board's decision to deny her disability retirement benefits. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows how strict the requirements can be for occupational disability benefits. Even if you get injured at work, you must prove your injury meets specific legal definitions to qualify for disability retirement. Workers should understand that not all workplace injuries automatically qualify for these benefits, even if the injury affects your ability to work. It's important to carefully review benefit requirements and consider getting help when applying for disability benefits through state retirement systems.