Westchester County may have to pay thousands of dollars in disputed back pay to corrections officers who were injured on the job.

A state Supreme Court justice ruled Tuesday that injured officers should not have had to use sick, vacation or personal time to pay their salaries while there was a disagreement over a medical disability.

According to the county, which plans to appeal, job-related injuries had spiked, leading to an agreement with the Westchester County Corrections Officers Union.

"What the court has done is to overturn a practice that was previously negotiated with the union in good faith," says a county spokesperson. "This practice has saved Westchester property taxpayers $8 million each year for the past six years. Obviously we are going to appeal the decision on behalf of our taxpayers."