What is typically excluded from coverage under standard workers' compensation policies?

In standard workers' compensation policies, coverage typically excludes intentional injuries. Workers' compensation is designed to provide financial compensation for injuries or illnesses that occur as a direct result of employment, but it is predicated on the premise that these injuries are accidental and arise from the course of work duties.

Intentional injuries differ from occupational injuries because they involve harm that is deliberately inflicted, either by the employee on themselves or by another party. Since workers' compensation is an insurance mechanism that exists to protect both employee and employer from the consequences of work-related mishaps, it does not extend to situations where the injury is self-inflicted or where the employee has engaged in misconduct or intentional harm.

Thus, understanding that standard policies are aimed at unforeseen events in the workplace helps clarify why intentional injuries fall outside the realm of coverage.