Who pays the Labor Code 4850 benefits in the described scenario involving a city police officer who later works for the county?

• A. The city
• B. The county
• C. The state
• D. The insurer

Answer: (A)

The main concept is that 4850 benefits are funded by the employer who had the officer on duty at the time of the on‑duty injury. The obligation to pay those benefits does not transfer to a later employer if the officer changes jobs and moves to a different public agency.

In this scenario, the injury occurred while the officer was employed by the city. Even though the officer later works for the county, the city remains the employer responsible for paying Labor Code 4850 benefits. The county does not assume that liability simply because the officer now works for them. The state isn’t the payer either in this context—the 4850 payments flow from the employing agency that covered the officer at the time of the injury, typically through its workers’ compensation system.

So, the city pays the 4850 benefits. The insurer may administer or fund those payments on behalf of the city, but the obligation belongs to the city, not the county, state, or a separate insurer.