A man shoots his wife at the wife's workplace due to a custody dispute. Is this compensable under workers' compensation?

• A. Yes, if the injury occurred during work hours
• B. No, because the act is criminal in nature
• C. Yes, if there is some employment-related factor
• D. No, because it is not in the course of employment

Answer: (D)

Workers’ compensation covers injuries that arise out of and occur in the course of employment. An injury caused by a third party’s criminal act is compensable only if that act is tied to the employee’s job or the risks of the job. In this scenario, the harm came from the husband’s personal act in a custody dispute, not from performing work duties or from conditions of the job. There is no employment-related factor linking the injury to the wife’s job, so it does not arise out of or occur in the course of employment. Therefore, it is not compensable.