Brevard County School Board v. Spires

Claimant, who injured his knee and lower back in the course and scope of his employment as a carpet installer, was awarded seventy percent permanent partial disability benefits based upon loss of wage earning capacity. We affirm the determination of disability, but we agree with appellants that the employer/carrier was entitled to a deduction for benefits paid for a prior injury-

The claimant suffered a knee injury in 1973 for which compensation benefits were paid. The Judge of Industrial Claims found that the impairment resulting from that injury combined or merged with the impairment from…