State ex rel. Clark v. Industrial Commission

As “the basis upon which to compute benefits,” R.C. 4123.61, average weekly wage “is designed to ‘find a fair basis for award for the loss of future compensation.’ ” State ex rel. Wireman v. Indus. Comm. (1990), 49 Ohio St.3d 286, 287, 551 N.E.2d 1265, 1266-1267, quoting Riley v. Indus. Comm. (1983), 9 Ohio App.3d 71, 73, 9 OBR 90, 92, 458 N.E.2d 428, 430.

*565The standard formula for establishing AWW is to divide claimant’s earnings for the year preceding injury by fifty-two weeks. Two exceptions exist.

The first directs the commission to eliminate from the weekly denominator any period of…