DC DC Workers' Compensation Insurance 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The DC Workers' Compensation Act requires most DC employers to provide workers' compensation coverage for employees who are injured:
- Only during overtime hours
- In the course and scope of their employment (Correct answer)
- Only if the employee has worked for the employer for at least one year
- Only in the DC office and not at remote locations
Correct answer: In the course and scope of their employment
DC workers' compensation law covers employees for injuries and illnesses that arise out of and in the course of their employment.
Question 2: Which DC agency administers the DC Workers' Compensation program?
- DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) (Correct answer)
- DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB)
- DC Office of Human Rights
- DC Department of Labor
Correct answer: DC Department of Employment Services (DOES)
The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) oversees the workers' compensation program in the District of Columbia.
Question 3: Under DC workers' compensation law, temporary total disability (TTD) benefits are typically calculated as what percentage of the employee's average weekly wage?
- 50%
- 66⅔% (Correct answer)
- 75%
- 100%
Correct answer: 66⅔%
DC workers' compensation provides TTD benefits equal to 66⅔% (two-thirds) of the injured worker's average weekly wage.
Question 4: In DC, which of the following injuries would typically NOT be covered under workers' compensation?
- A broken wrist sustained while lifting boxes at work
- A back injury from a slip on a wet floor at the office
- An injury sustained while commuting to work on a normal day (Correct answer)
- Repetitive stress injury from typing at a work computer
Correct answer: An injury sustained while commuting to work on a normal day
Under the 'going and coming' rule, injuries during an ordinary commute to or from work are generally not covered by workers' compensation.
Question 5: A DC employer that fails to secure required workers' compensation coverage is subject to:
- Only a verbal warning on first offense
- Civil fines and potential criminal penalties, and remains liable for any employee injuries (Correct answer)
- Automatic closure of the business by DOES
- Mandatory enrollment in a state risk pool at double the standard premium
Correct answer: Civil fines and potential criminal penalties, and remains liable for any employee injuries
Uninsured DC employers face significant civil fines, possible criminal liability, and remain personally responsible for paying workers' compensation benefits to injured employees.
Question 6: What is the purpose of the DC Second Injury Fund (also called the Special Fund)?
- To reimburse insurers for claims exceeding $1 million
- To encourage hiring of workers with pre-existing disabilities by limiting employers' liability for subsequent combined injuries (Correct answer)
- To cover uninsured employers' workers' compensation obligations
- To fund rehabilitation programs for injured workers
Correct answer: To encourage hiring of workers with pre-existing disabilities by limiting employers' liability for subsequent combined injuries
The Second Injury Fund limits the employer/insurer's liability when a pre-existing condition combines with a new work injury to create a greater disability, encouraging employers to hire workers with prior disabilities.
DC DC Workers' Compensation Insurance 1
The DC Workers' Compensation Act requires most DC employers to provide workers' compensation coverage for employees who are injured: