1030                            Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 446

are less than fifteen dollars TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS per week at
the time of the injury, in which event he shall receive compensation
equal to his full wages, subject to reconsideration of the degree of
such impairment by the Commission on its own motion or upon
application of any party in interest.

36.

[4a. Same—Same—Serious disability.—A person who receives
under subsection (4) of this section an award equal in total to forty
per centum or more of $12,500 is thereby considered to have a serious
disability. He automatically shall be entitled to (in addition to the
award under subsection (4) ) an extra award of a number of weeks
equal to one-third (computed to the nearest whole number) of the
number of weeks awarded under subsection (4); and the award of
compensation to him in no case shall exceed forty dollars per week;
and as to him the maximum limitation of $12,500 shall not apply.
This subsection, to the extent of any inconsistency, prevails over
subsection (4); but otherwise subsection (4) applies to persons cov-
ered by this subsection. Provided, however, that any additional com-
pensation for permanent partial disability on a petition to reopen
shall not increase the amount of compensation previously awarded
and paid.]

36.

4A. Serious Disability.—A person who, from one accident, re-
ceives an award of compensation for a period of two hundred and
fifty (250) weeks or more under subsections (3) or (4) or a com-
bination of both, is thereby considered to have a Serious Disability;
except any award for disfigurement or mutilation under subsection
(3)(f) of this section shall not be considered in the determination
of a Serious Disability. The weeks for such award shall be increased
by one-third (computed to the nearest whole number); and the com-
pensation shall be for sixty-six and two-thirds per centum of the
average weekly wages, in no case to exceed Sixty-five dollars ($65.00)
per week and not less than a minimum of twenty-five dollars per
week unless the employee's established weekly wages are less than
twenty-five dollars per week at the time of the injury, in which event
he shall receive compensation equal to his full wages. This subsec-
tion, to the extent of any inconsistency, prevails over subsection (3)
and (4); but otherwise subsections (3) and (4) apply to persons
covered by this subsection. Provided, however, that any additional
compensation for permanent partial disability on a petition to re-
open shall not increase the amount of compensation previously
awarded and actually paid.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this Act
shall be applicable only to such injuries as occur and such actions as
are initiated after the effective date hereof.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1970.

Approved April 28, 1970