(a) When an employee shall become totally and permanently disabled under § 42-9-10, because of the loss of a hand, arm, foot, leg or the vision of an eye in a subsequent injury under § 42-9-150 or 42-9-170, he may receive from the employer compensation and medical care provided by this title for total and permanent disability, and the employer shall be reimbursed a portion of the cost thereof from the Second Injury Fund as herein provided.

(b) If the loss of the member or eyesight is not caused or contributed to by any of the conditions defined as "permanent physical impairment" in § 42-9-400, the employer shall be responsible to pay such compensation and provide such medical care as is required by §§ 42-9-150 or 42-9-170 and 42-15-60, and the employer shall thereafter be reimbursed by the Second Injury Fund for the cost of such further compensation and medical care as the injured employee shall receive under this chapter.

(c) If the loss of the member or eyesight is caused or contributed to by any of the conditions defined in § 42-9-400 as "permanent physical impairment," the employer shall pay the compensation and medical expense for seventy-eight weeks as required by subsection (a) of § 42-9-400 and thereafter the employer shall be reimbursed from the Second Injury Fund for such further compensation or medical expense as the employer shall provide for the employee under this chapter.

(d) In order to receive additional benefits from the Second Injury Fund as permitted by §§ 42-9-150 and 42-9-170, the employer shall establish that he had knowledge of the employee’s preexisting permanent physical impairment prior to the time of the subsequent injury by accident, unless the employer can establish that he did not have prior knowledge of the employee’s preexisting physical impairment because the existence of the condition was concealed by the employee.