Case Name: McDonald construction corp. & Commercial Risk Management, Inc., Appellants, v. Lawrence DION, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1984-10-16
Citations: 457 So. 2d 592
Docket Number: No. AX-182
Parties: McDonald construction corp. & Commercial Risk Management, Inc., Appellants, v. Lawrence DION, Appellee.
Judges: SHIVERS and NIMMONS, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 457
Pages: 592–593

Head Matter:
McDonald construction corp. & Commercial Risk Management, Inc., Appellants, v. Lawrence DION, Appellee.
No. AX-182.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Oct. 16, 1984.
A.H. Lane and David J. Williams of Lane, Trohn, Bertrand & Williams, Lake-land, for appellants.
Richard R. Roach, Jr. of Woods, Murray & Roach, Lakeland, for appellee.

Opinion:
WENTWORTH, Judge.
The carrier's contention in this appeal is that wage loss benefits should have been denied for alleged voluntary limitation of income by claimant during a period of full time employment as a restaurant manager, because he did not continue active work search while so employed. We affirm because the record substantiates the deputy's determination that claimant did not voluntarily limit his income under these circumstances.
The order notes claimant's diligent, good faith, unsuccessful attempts to obtain more remunerative employment following termination of intermittent carpentry jobs for reasons unrelated to his injury. It finds that the employment accepted by claimant represented his best opportunity compatible with a post-injury condition precluding heavy lifting. In the circumstances recited the deputy could properly conclude that the compensable injury contributed causally to the wage loss in question. § 440.15(3)(b), Florida Statutes. Claimant's initial burden was accordingly met and, absent any evidence of available alternative employment or other proof of voluntary limitation of income by claimant, the order must be affirmed.
SHIVERS and NIMMONS, JJ., concur.