An employer commits "serious and willful misconduct" if it intentionally acts - or fails to act - with the knowledge that a serious injury will probably result. An example is an employer knowing that its factory has serious safety hazards but choosing not to fix them. When an employee's work injury is caused by the employer's "serious and willful misconduct", the employee's workers' comp benefits can be increased by up to 50 percent. (The worker can also receive up to $250 in costs and expenses.) But the total award may not exceed what the employee could have received in a traditional civil case.