Opinion ID: 2425119
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: apportioning the award

Text: This holding does not relieve the employer of liability on the injury claim by virtue of the concurrent 100% occupational disease claim. The dollar amount of the injury claim must be deducted from the maximum benefit allowed for total disability. The balance of the total disability allowable then becomes the effective amount of the occupational disease award. After the values of the injury claim and the occupational disease claim have been determined, they should be apportioned between the defendants according to their liability. U.S. Steel v. Wells, supra ; Island Creek Coal v. Davis, Ky.App., 761 S.W.2d 179 (1988). The formula for computing the award should, therefore, produce results consistent with the following: 1. Determine the value of the injury claim and the occupational disease claim. Total allowable benefits under KRS 342.730(1)(a) LESS: value of the injury claim under KRS 342.730(1)(b) Total occupational disease benefit 2. Apportion the value of each claim according to the liability of each defendant. Total injury benefit × % of liability = defendant's share of the award Total occupational disease benefit × % of liability = defendant's share of the award 3. Add together the benefits due on each award plus any interest, plus any applicable charges and less any applicable credits, to determine the total liability for each defendant. 4. Divide the total liability of each defendant by the maximum weekly benefit to determine the number of weeks over which each defendant will pay his portion of the award. 5. The employer pays his entire liability on the combined award. (KRS 342.120) 6. Upon completion of the employer's payments, the Special Fund pays its share of the award. (KRS 342.120). Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals in Beale v. Shepherd is hereby affirmed. The decisions in Peabody Coal Co. v. Kirkwood and Peabody Coal Co. v. Vincent, are hereby reversed, and those cases are remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. STEPHENS, C.J., and COMBS, LEIBSON, SPAIN and WINTERSHEIMER, JJ., concur. REYNOLDS, J., not sitting.