If an employee suffers an injury in 1992 resulting in a permanent disability award, and the appeals board finds the injury was due to the employee’s serious misconduct, what is the outcome for their compensation?

When an employee suffers an injury due to their serious misconduct, the typical outcome in a workers' compensation scenario is the complete forfeiture of benefits. This principle is grounded in the idea that benefits are designed to support employees who sustain injuries in the course of their employment without fault. Serious misconduct represents a violation of workplace standards or safety rules, which can directly impact the employee's eligibility for compensatory benefits.

In California, the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board may determine that if an injury is directly connected to an employee's serious misconduct, they may not receive compensation for the injury. This stems from a well-established precedent in workers' compensation law, which seeks to ensure that benefits are not awarded in situations where an employee's own actions have substantially contributed to their injury.

Therefore, the correct interpretation of the situation where the appeals board finds the injury was due to serious misconduct of the employee leads to a complete forfeiture of benefits, as per the standards established in California workers' compensation law.