Nevada trooper injured by mail bomb settles with state

Nearly nine years after he was maimed by a mail bomb, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Ken Gager has reached an out-of-court settlement in his long legal battle with the state.

Gager, 50, lost his left eye and a portion of his left arm and suffered other extensive injuries in the blast at his Minden home on Sept. 8, 1993.

He returned to work but then filed two lawsuits claiming he was the victim of discrimination by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which oversees the Highway Patrol.

Gager called the agreement "a win-win deal" that protects his retirement benefits.

Deputy Attorney General Stephen Quinn said Thursday the settlement "is good for Mr. Gager. It's what he wanted for his financial security. The department has always been willing to work something out for his financial future."

Under the agreement, Gager will get $30,400 so he can purchase about one year in the retirement system. That gives him a 20-year pension without being penalized. He's expected to retire in a few weeks.

In addition, the department will give Gager a 10 percent raise retroactive for three years that amounts to $16,000 in his pocket.

Gager was injured when the mail bomb was delivered to his home in Douglas County by Robert Collins who was later convicted and sentenced to 75 years in prison.

Prior to the bomb incident, Gager had made a routine traffic stop of Collins, and a later search of Collins' car turned up evidence linking him to insurance fraud and burglary.