(a) After April 8, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, a reduction in the amount of benefits as specified in subsection (b) of this section shall be made whenever benefits are being paid for a permanent total disability award regardless of when the benefits were awarded. This section is not applicable to the receipt of medical benefits or the payment for medical benefits, the receipt of permanent partial disability benefits, the receipt of benefits by partially or wholly dependent persons, or to the receipt of benefits pursuant to the provisions of subsection (e), section ten of this article. Prior to the application of this section to any claimant, the commission, successor to the commission, other private carrier or self-insured employer, whichever is applicable, shall give the claimant notice of the effect of this section upon a claimant's award if and when the claimant later earns wages.
(b) Whenever applicable benefits are paid to a claimant with respect to the same time period in which the claimant has earned wages as a result of his or her employment, the following reduction in applicable benefits shall be made. The claimant's applicable monthly benefits and monthly net wages received from the current employment shall be added together. If the total exceeds by more than one hundred twenty percent of the amount of the claimant's monthly net wages earned during his or her last employment prior to the award of permanent total disability benefits, the excess shall be reduced by $1 for each $2 that the claimant's monthly benefits and monthly net wages exceed the one hundred twenty percent level: Provided, That in no event shall applicable benefits be reduced below the minimum weekly benefits as provided in subdivisions (b) and (d), section six of this article.
Structure West Virginia Code
Chapter 23. Workers' Compensation
Article 4. Disability and Death Benefits
§23-4-1a. Report of Injuries by Employee
§23-4-1b. Report of Injuries by Employers
§23-4-1d. Method and Time of Payments for Permanent Disability
§23-4-1g. Weighing of Evidence
§23-4-3b. Creation of Health Care Advisory Panel
§23-4-3c. Suspension or Termination of Providers of Health Care
§23-4-4. Funeral Expenses; Wrongfully Seeking Payment; Criminal Penalties
§23-4-5. Benefits for First Three Days After Injury
§23-4-6. Classification of and Criteria for Disability Benefits
§23-4-6b. Occupational Hearing Loss Claims
§23-4-6c. Benefits Payable to Certain Sheltered Workshop Employees; Limitations
§23-4-6d. Benefits Payable to Part-Time Employees
§23-4-7b. Trial Return to Work; Insurance Commissioner to Develop Rules
§23-4-8. Physical Examination of Claimant
§23-4-8b. Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board; Procedure; Autopsy
§23-4-9. Physical and Vocational Rehabilitation
§23-4-9b. Preexisting Impairments Not Considered in Fixing Amount of Compensation
§23-4-10. Classification of Death Benefits; "dependent" Defined
§23-4-11. To Whom Death Benefits Paid
§23-4-12. Application of Benefits
§23-4-13. Effect of Abandonment of Spouse
§23-4-14. Computation of Benefits
§23-4-15. Application for Benefits
§23-4-15a. Nonresident Alien Beneficiaries
§23-4-15b. Determination of Nonmedical Questions; Claims for Occupational Pneumoconiosis; Hearing
§23-4-16a. Interest on Benefits
§23-4-17. Commutation of Periodical Benefits
§23-4-18. Mode of Paying Benefits Generally; Exemptions of Compensation From Legal Process
§23-4-20. Postmortem Examinations
§23-4-22. Permanent Disability Evaluations; Limitations; Notice