If the injury occurs to an employee under 16 years of age and illegally employed at the time of injury, the entire compensation otherwise recoverable shall be increased by

• A. 50%
• B. 25%
• C. 75%
• D. 100%

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that there’s a statutory penalty when an injury occurs to a worker under 16 who was illegally employed. In this situation, the compensation that would normally be paid is increased by 50%. So the total indemnity becomes 1.5 times the usual amount. This penalty is meant to deter illegal child labor and compensate for the employer’s violation. Note that medical benefits are separate and not part of this 50% increase. For example, if the ordinary indemnity would be 1,000, it becomes 1,500 due to the penalty. The other percentage options don’t apply because the law specifies a 50% increase.