Where There Is Permanent Partial Disability, the Benefits Are Calculated Based Upon the Difference Between the Pre-Disability Earnings and the Actual Earnings During the Period of Disability
The Third Department determined the Board correctly calculated the benefits for a nurse who could no longer work as a nurse due to an allergic reaction to hand sanitizer (permanent partial disability). She found work as a part-time cashier at $8 an hour. She had earned over $2000 per week as a nurse. The Board awarded her benefits of $600 per week for 500 weeks. The Third Department held the Board correctly used the difference between her nursing salary and her earnings as a cashier earnings during the period of disability as the basis for the award. The court explained the analytical criteria:
Workers’ Compensation Law § 15 (3) (w) provides that the compensation rate for injured employees who have permanent partial disabilities that are not subject to schedule awards is based upon “the difference between the injured employee’s average weekly wages and his or her wage-earning capacity thereafter in the same employment or otherwise” … . Workers’ Compensation Law § 15 (5-a) further provides that the wage- earning capacity of an injured employee with a partial disability “shall be determined by his [or her] actual earnings” while disabled … . Notably, the Court of Appeals has recognized that “where actual earnings during the period of the disability are established, wage[-]earning capacity must be determined exclusively by the actual earnings of the injured employee without evidence of capacity to earn more or less during such disability period” … .
Vocational and functional considerations, such as a claimant’s age, education, training, experience, restrictions and related factors, are appropriately taken into account with respect to loss of wage-earning capacity only as they are relevant to the duration of a claimant’s permanent partial disability benefits … . Matter of Baczuk v Good Samaritan Hosp., 2015 NY Slip Op 07313, 3rd Dept 10-8-15