Cite as: 506 U. S. 153 (1993)
Opinion of the Court
The differences between the first and third compensation systems can result in significantly differing benefits. An award to a claimant under the schedule, i. e., the first system, is based upon the degree of loss to the scheduled body part, whereas an award under the third system is based on the extent to which the "whole body" has been impaired. In most cases, this difference makes recovery under the schedule more generous than that under the retiree provisions.9
II
Respondent was exposed to loud noise during his employment as a riveter and chipper at petitioner's iron works from 1939 until 1947, and again from 1950 until his retirement in 1972. In 1985 he received the results of an audiogram indicating an 82.4 percent loss of hearing. As authorized by a
"(B) more than one year after the employee has retired, the average weekly wage shall be deemed to be the national average weekly wage . . . applicable at the time of the injury."
Section 10(i), 33 U. S. C. § 910(i), provides:
"For purposes of this section with respect to a claim for compensation for death or disability due to an occupational disease which does not immediately result in death or disability, the time of injury shall be deemed to be the date on which the employee or claimant becomes aware, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence or by reason of medical advice should have been aware, of the relationship between the employment, the disease, and the death or disability."
9 For example, because respondent's hearing loss is partial (82.4 percent), see infra this page, his recovery under the schedule would be reduced from two-thirds of his average weekly wage for 200 weeks to the same amount for 165 weeks (200 weeks times .824 equals 165 weeks). See 33 U. S. C. § 908(c)(19). Under the guides referenced in § 8(c)(23), however, an 82.4 percent hearing loss translates into a 29 percent impairment of the "whole person." Thus, under the third system respondent would only receive 29 percent of two-thirds of the appropriate average weekly wage.
There are some aspects of the third system, however, that may provide for more favorable treatment to claimants. For instance, benefits calculated pursuant to the third system are paid weekly for as long as the claimant is impaired, whereas benefits for a scheduled injury continue only for a specified number of weeks.
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