(1) suffers an injury; or

(2) contracts an illness;

during the performance of the officer’s duty.

     (b) The town shall pay for the following expenses incurred by a police officer described in subsection (a):

(1) Medical and surgical care.

(2) Medicines and laboratory, curative, and palliative agents and means.

(3) X-ray, diagnostic, and therapeutic service, including during the recovery period.

(4) Hospital and special nursing care if the physician or surgeon in charge considers it necessary for proper recovery.

     (c) Expenditures required by subsection (a) shall be paid from the general fund of the town.

     (d) A town that has paid for the care of a police officer under subsection (a) has a cause of action for reimbursement of the amount paid under subsection (a) against any third party against whom the police officer has a cause of action for an injury sustained because of, or an illness caused by, the third party. The town’s cause of action under this subsection is in addition to, and not in lieu of, the cause of action of the police officer against the third party.

As added by P.L.150-2002, SEC.2.