In re Application of Mary Feehan

In In re Application of Mary Feehan (1980), 34 Ill. Ct. Cl. 293, 296, the decedent, a police officer, suffered a fatal heart attack after testifying in a burglary case he had handled. Prior to suffering the heart attack Officer Feehan had been working an extraordinary amount of overtime beyond a normal forty-hour work week. When Officer Feehan was off duty he was on call. His work consisted of investigating crimes committed and about to be committed, making arrests, performing searches, and conducting surveillance and stakeouts in connection with a burglary and drug dealing. In granting an award the Court determined that the extraordinary amount of overtime worked combined with the stressful nature of Officer Feehan's duties had the cumulative effect of leading up to and resulting in the fatal heart attack.