Beyer v. Porter-Hayden

I dissent from the majority’s disposition of this case. An outline of the syllogistic dilemma presented to the courts below runs like this:(1) In 1979 the Legislature adopted the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act, A. 1979, c. 283, that generally increased rates and benefits for injured workers. The Act increased the minimum benefit for all survivors of workers who suffered occupationally induced deaths from $15 a week to 20% of the statewide average weekly wage and increased the maximum benefit from 66⅔% to 75% of the statewide average weekly *109wage. The Act, however, did not change the basic…