An employee's husband comes to where she works and shoots her as a result of a marital dispute. The injury is:

• A. Not compensable because it did not occur in the course of employment
• B. Not compensable because it did not arise out of employment
• C. Compensable because it arose out of the employment
• D. Compensable because it occurred in the course of employment

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that injuries occurring on the job site during the time an employee is working are considered to happen in the course of employment, even if a third party (like a spouse) causes the injury. Here, the employee was shot at her workplace while on duty, so the harm occurred within the work setting and time frame. The motive of the attacker—personal marital issues—does not remove the event from the course of employment; the risk is tied to being at the employer’s premises during work. Therefore, this injury is compensable under workers’ compensation.