In Hawaii's workers' compensation, what constitutes a “work injury”?

The definition of a "work injury" in Hawaii's workers' compensation system focuses on the concept of the injury arising out of and in the course of employment. This means that for an injury to be classified as a work injury, it must be directly linked to the job responsibilities and duties that the employee is tasked with, occurring while the employee is engaged in activities related to their employment.

This definition encompasses a wide variety of scenarios, including injuries that occur while performing specific job functions and even injuries that may happen during breaks or while on the employer's premises, as long as there is a clear connection to the employment context. The emphasis is on the relationship between the injury and the work performed, which is critical for determining eligibility for workers' compensation benefits.

In contrast, the other options do not fully capture the appropriate legal definition of a work injury. For example, injuries sustained during lunch breaks may not always qualify if they are not directly connected to work activities. Similarly, limiting work injuries to only those requiring hospitalization excludes many legitimate claims that may not necessitate such extreme medical intervention but still impact the employee's ability to perform their work duties. Lastly, while an injury that affects an employee's ability to perform outside work activities might be significant, it does not