Opinion ID: 564886
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Apportionment Among Parties

Text: 18 We similarly defer to the Director's view that section 933(f) allows the employer to offset only that portion of a third party settlement attributable to the claimant, which means that there must be apportionment of damages among parties to the settlement. 19 The Director's position is a reasonable interpretation of the statutory language: The offset provision applies to the third party recovery obtained by the person entitled to compensation under the Act. 33 U.S.C. Sec. 933(f). An employer is entitled to offset its liability to a particular claimant only for the third party damages received by the claimant for the covered occupational injury or death. 20 Here, two members of the Force family were entitled to compensation under the Act: George Force, who was awarded inter vivos disability benefits, and Lucille Force, who was awarded death benefits. The Force children did not file claims for LHWCA benefits and are not entitled to them; section 933(f) simply does not apply to the children or their third party recovery. Hence, the ALJ should have apportioned the third party settlement among Mr. Force, Mrs. Force and the two children so that the amounts attributable to the children could have been factored out and the amounts attributable to Mr. and Mrs. Force credited against their respective LHWCA benefits. 3