If any employee who receives compensation under section 31-307 returns to work after recovery from his or her injury and subsequently suffers total or partial incapacity caused by a relapse from the recovery from, or a recurrence of, the injury, the employee shall be paid a weekly compensation equal to seventy-five per cent of his or her average weekly earnings as of the date of the original injury or at the time of his or her relapse or at the time of the recurrence of the injury, whichever is the greater sum, calculated pursuant to section 31-310, after such earnings have been reduced by any deduction for federal or state taxes, or both, and for the federal Insurance Contributions Act made from such employee's total wages received during the period of calculation of the employee's average weekly wage pursuant to said section 31-310, but not more than (1) the maximum compensation rate set pursuant to section 31-309 if the employee suffers total incapacity, or (2) one hundred per cent, raised to the next even dollar, of the average weekly earnings of production and related workers in manufacturing in the state, as determined in accordance with the provisions of section 31-309, if the employee suffers partial incapacity, for the year in which the employee suffered the relapse or recurrent injury and the minimum rate under this chapter for that year, and provided (A) the compensation shall not continue longer than the period of total or partial incapacity following the relapse or recurrent injury and (B) no employee eligible for compensation for specific injuries set forth in section 31-308 shall receive compensation under this section. The employee shall also be entitled to receive the cost-of-living adjustment provided in accordance with the provisions of section 31-307a commencing on October first following the relapse or recurrent injury which disables him or her. If the injury occurred originally prior to October 1, 1969, the difference between the employee's original weekly compensation rate and the rate required by this section and the cost-of-living adjustment, if any, thereafter due shall be paid initially by the employer or the employer's insurance carrier who shall be reimbursed for such payment from the Second Injury Fund as provided by section 31-354 upon presentation of any vouchers and information that the Treasurer shall require. No claim for payment of retroactive benefits may be made to the Second Injury Fund more than two years after the date on which the employer or its insurance carrier paid such benefits in accordance with this section. In no event shall the employee receive more than the prevailing maximum compensation.

(1967, P.A. 842, S. 28; 1969, P.A. 696, S. 6; P.A. 79-376, S. 74; P.A. 91-32, S. 25, 41; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 51; P.A. 93-228, S. 18, 35; P.A. 05-199, S. 6.)

History: 1969 act deleted reference to Sec. 31-306(b), deleted reference to “maximum” recovery from injury and set forth provisions re payments for cost-of-living adjustments; P.A. 79-376 added references to recurrent injuries; P.A. 91-32 made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 changed the weekly compensation allowed under this section from 66.66% of average weekly earnings to 80% of average weekly earnings reduced by deductions for federal taxes and FICA, and provided for maximum compensation in the case of total and partial incapacity; P.A. 93-228 decreased weekly compensation benefits for relapse or recurrence of previous injury from 80% to 75% of employee's average weekly earnings and required that state taxes be deducted in calculating such earnings, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 05-199 made technical changes and required claims for payment of retroactive benefits under section to be made to Second Injury Fund not more than two years after payment by employer or insurer, effective July 1, 2006.

Claimant need only have recovered sufficiently to have returned to work with medical permission to be entitled to section's benefits on a relapse or recurrence of injury. 231 C. 529. Where claimant underwent surgery for both knees at same time for compensable, unrelated work injuries suffered at different times and covered by different carriers, workers' compensation commissioner had authority under section to order each carrier to make 50 per cent of claimant's total temporary total disability payments. 317 C. 33.