An EE seriously injured due to his own serious and willful misconduct. The EE's compensation is reduced by 50% unless:

An EE seriously injured due to his own serious and willful misconduct. The EE's compensation is reduced by 50% unless:

• A. the injury results in death or the injury produces PD of 70% or over
• B. he is a minor
• C. the injury results in death
• D. either B or C

Answer: (D)

When an employee’s injury stems from their own serious and willful misconduct, the usual workers’ compensation benefits are reduced by 50% to deter such conduct. But there are carve-outs. The 50% reduction does not apply if the injured employee is a minor, or if the injury results in death. These two separate exceptions explain why the correct choice is that the reduction applies unless either the worker is a minor or the injury causes death. The other options don’t capture both carve-outs: a threshold like 70% permanent disability isn’t the correct exception, and listing only one scenario misses the other, which is why “either B or C” is the right rule.

When an employee’s injury stems from their own serious and willful misconduct, the usual workers’ compensation benefits are reduced by 50% to deter such conduct. But there are carve-outs. The 50% reduction does not apply if the injured employee is a minor, or if the injury results in death. These two separate exceptions explain why the correct choice is that the reduction applies unless either the worker is a minor or the injury causes death. The other options don’t capture both carve-outs: a threshold like 70% permanent disability isn’t the correct exception, and listing only one scenario misses the other, which is why “either B or C” is the right rule.