Oregon Public Broadcasting

A jury in Jackson County has awarded four former Medford city employees a total of $283,000 in a civil judgment.

Last September, a Jackson County judge ruled the city improperly booted the four from the city’s health plan after they took early retirement.

At issue in the case was a 1986 state law that says if a local government provides insurance to its officers and employees, then it must make that same plan available to its retirees at their own expense until the retirees are eligible for Medicare.

Steve Brischetto is the attorney who represented the four former employees. He says the ruling potentially opens up the city to a multitude of similar claims.

Steve Brischetto: “There are probably upwards of about 95 other retirees out there whose rights have potentially been violated. You know, so I think that the city has kind of a ticking time bomb on its hands.”

Brischetto also represents a current employee of the city who, in a separate case, has filed a class action lawsuit against the city.

Medford city manager Mike Dyal declined to comment.