Opinion ID: 852307
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Inclusion of Social Security Act Disability Benefits Under the Statute

Text: The worker first contends that he is entitled to Second Injury Fund benefits because, in addition to remaining totally disabled, his receipt of 500 weeks of disability payments in the amount of $165,405.43 with $29,023.61 of said amount being Social Security Disability payments exceeds the $154,665.00 threshold required for him to qualify. Appellant's Br. at 8. The Fund responds that the worker's entitlement to Second Injury Fund benefits requires that the eligibility threshold be exhausted exclusively by payments under the Worker's Compensation Act, not from outside sources such as Social Security. Appellee's Br. at 4. The relevant statutory subsections provide: (h) If an employee who is entitled to compensation under IC 22-3-2 through IC 22-3-6 either: (1) . . .; or (2) exhausts the employee's benefits under section 10 of this chapter; then such employee may apply to the board, who may award the employee compensation from the second injury fund established by this section, as follows under subsection (i). (i) An employee who has exhausted the employee's maximum benefits under section 10 of this chapter may be awarded additional compensation equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the employee's average weekly wage at the time of the employee's injury, not to exceed the maximum then applicable under section 22 of this chapter, for a period of not to exceed one hundred fifty (150) weeks upon competent evidence sufficient to establish: (1) that the employee is totally and permanently disabled from causes and conditions of which there are or have been objective conditions and symptoms proven that are not within the physical or mental control of the employee; and (2) that the employee is unable to support the employee in any gainful employment, not associated with rehabilitative or vocational therapy. Ind.Code §§ 22-3-3-13(h)-(i) (emphasis added). The worker argues that the word compensation refers to Worker's Compensation disability payments but that the exhaustion of benefits in subsection (h)(2) refers to the exhaustion of the amount of benefits for permanent total disability, without designating a particular source of payment, in order for the interpretation of the [Act] to be liberally construed in favor of employees and beneficiaries. Appellant's Reply Br. at 3. To the contrary, we find that the unambiguous statutory language does not authorize Second Injury eligibility to be calculated by including the receipt of benefits other than specific benefits provided under the Act. Subsections (h)(2) and (i) each specifically condition eligibility by requiring exhaustion of the employee's benefits under section 10 of this chapter.  Thus the word benefits is expressly qualified by under section 10 of this chapter. Section 10 prescribes the calculation of benefits payable under the Act by an employer to an injured worker for various injuries, including total permanent disability. Ind.Code § 22-3-3-10. It makes no reference to benefit payments from any source outside of the Act. We conclude that the Indiana Worker's Compensation Act does not direct that the worker's receipt of Social Security Act benefits be included in determining his eligibility for Second Injury Fund compensation.