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.