Case Name: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION and Florida Department of Insurance, Appellants, v. Tony JOHNS, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1998-11-10
Citations: 753 So. 2d 108
Docket Number: No. 98-1272
Parties: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION and Florida Department of Insurance, Appellants, v. Tony JOHNS, Appellee.
Judges: BOOTH, BENTON and PADOVANO, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 753
Pages: 108–109

Head Matter:
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION and Florida Department of Insurance, Appellants, v. Tony JOHNS, Appellee.
No. 98-1272.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Nov. 10, 1998.
David A. McCranie of McCranie & Lower, P.A., Jacksonville, for Appellants.
Sylvan A. Wells, Daytona Beach, for Ap-pellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
This cause is before us on appeal from an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims (hereinafter JCC) ordering the Employer/Carrier to recalculate the offset taken under section 440.20(15), Florida Statutes, and to exclude from the offset calculation permanent total disability supplemental benefits. We recently addressed this issue in Acker v. City of Clearwater, 755 So.2d 651 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998). We affirm the JCC's order to the extent .that it orders the E/C to exclude the yearly increases in PTD supplemental benefits. We reverse, however, the JCC's determination that PTD supplemental benefits should be excluded from the initial offset calculation. See Acker, supra; Hunt v. Stratton, 677 So.2d 64, 67 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996).
Accordingly, we affirm in part and reverse in part, and certify the following question:
WHERE AN EMPLOYER TAKES A WORKERS' COMPENSATION OFFSET UNDER SECTION 440.20(15), FLORIDA STATUTES (1985), AND INITIALLY INCLUDES SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS PAID UNDER SECTION 440.15(l)(e)(l), FLORIDA STATUTES (1985), IS THE EMPLOYER ENTITLED TO RECALCULATE THE OFFSET BASED ON THE YEARLY 5% INCREASE IN SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS?
BOOTH, BENTON and PADOVANO, JJ., concur.