A finding that the injuries resulted from the injured EE's serious and willful misconduct means which of the following?

A finding that the injuries resulted from the injured EE's serious and willful misconduct means which of the following?

• A. A 50% reduction in the applicant's indemnity benefits
• B. The compensation otherwise payable shall be reduced one-half
• C. A 10% reduction if the injury causes disability greater than 70%
• D. No reduction if the EE is under 18 years of age at the time of injury

Answer: (B)

When injuries come from the injured employee’s serious and willful misconduct, the law imposes a 50% reduction in benefits. The rule states that the compensation otherwise payable shall be reduced one-half. This means the total amount due to the employee—potentially including wage replacement and related benefits—gets halved, not just a portion like indemnity benefits. The reduction is a direct consequence of the employee’s serious misconduct, and there isn’t an age-based exception or a smaller percentage tied to disability thresholds. So the correct interpretation is that the compensation otherwise payable is cut by half.

When injuries come from the injured employee’s serious and willful misconduct, the law imposes a 50% reduction in benefits. The rule states that the compensation otherwise payable shall be reduced one-half. This means the total amount due to the employee—potentially including wage replacement and related benefits—gets halved, not just a portion like indemnity benefits. The reduction is a direct consequence of the employee’s serious misconduct, and there isn’t an age-based exception or a smaller percentage tied to disability thresholds. So the correct interpretation is that the compensation otherwise payable is cut by half.