Buzzard v. Public Employees Retirement System

**What This Case Was About** This case involved a dispute over a deceased public employee's retirement benefits. When the employee died, his beneficiaries argued that he lacked the mental capacity to choose his retirement payment plan and wanted to change the option he had selected. The beneficiaries sued the Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio, claiming the agency should allow them to modify the deceased worker's retirement benefit choices. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in favor of the retirement system. The judge found that the deceased employee had sufficient mental capacity when he made his retirement plan selection, meaning his choice was valid and legally binding. The court also determined that beneficiaries cannot change or override the payment option that a retired employee chose while alive. **What This Means for Workers** This ruling reinforces that retirement benefit decisions are permanent and personal. When you select how you want your retirement benefits paid out, that choice typically cannot be changed by your family members after you pass away, even if they disagree with your decision. Workers should carefully consider their retirement options and discuss them with beneficiaries beforehand, since these choices will stand after death.