Opinion ID: 2321891
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dunson v. South Portland Housing Authority

Text: [¶ 14] Miller asserts that, pursuant to section 354, any apportionment of the prior injury may not be taken against the employee. That is, he contends that the most recent employer, Spinnaker, remains responsible for the entire benefit, and any decrease in the benefit that occurs by operation of section 201(6) must be shouldered by the most recent employer, pursuant to Dunson, 2003 ME 16, 814 A.2d 972. We disagree. [¶ 15] In Dunson, we determined that the hearing officer erred when failing to apply the law in effect at the time of a 1991 injury, which required an adjustment for inflation to awards of total incapacity benefits, for the portion of the total benefit attributable to the 1991 injury. 2003 ME 16, ¶¶ 6, 9, 814 A.2d at 976, 977; see also Johnson v. S.D. Warren, Div. of Scott Paper Co., 432 A.2d 431, 435-36, 437-38 (Me.1981) (holding former insurer is responsible to pay its share of the benefit to the most recent employer/insurer calculated pursuant to the average weekly wage in effect at the time of the earlier injury, and the most recent employer/insurer must make up the difference). [¶ 16] Also in Dunson, the most recent employer took the position that, because the former employer received the benefit of a lower average weekly wage, the most recent employer should get the benefit of the inflation adjustment to allow it to pay a level of benefits that more accurately reflect[ed] its true proportion of liability. 2003 ME 16, ¶ 13, 814 A.2d at 978-79. We disagreed, and held that the most recent employer was required to pay the employee total incapacity benefits ... calculated according to the applicable total incapacity statutes for each date of injury and, in turn [, was] entitled to reimbursement from the employers responsible for prior injuries, according to their respective obligations to pay under the law at the time of those injuries. Id. ¶ 16, 814 A.2d at 979. We further concluded that [a]ny increase in benefits resulting from the application of the inflation adjustment must be paid to the employee. Id. [¶ 17] In Dunson, the application of the law in effect at the time of the injuries pursuant to section 201(6) inured to the benefit of the employee. Id. On some occasions, as in this case, the application of the law will inure to the benefit of the employer. This is the likely outcome when the relevant provision places a limit on the duration of an award. Whether the portion of an award attributable to a prior injury remained viable after the expiration of a statutory time limit was not at issue in Dunson or Johnson. See Dunson, 2003 ME 16, ¶ 1, 814 A.2d at 974; Johnson, 432 A.2d at 434-35. Here, the application of the law in effect at the time of the 1992 injury results in the conclusion that Miller has received all benefits to which he is entitled for that injury. His workers' compensation benefit, calculated according to the applicable partial incapacity statutes for each date of injury, must reflect a reduction of 25%, attributable to the expired injury. [¶ 18] In conclusion, neither Cust, nor the amendment to section 354 or general apportionment principles require that the 65% partial benefit be maintained without a reduction for the 1992 injury. The hearing officer did not err in reducing the benefit by 25%. The entry is: The decision of the Workers' Compensation Board hearing officer is affirmed.