Court Rules, Workers’ Comp claimable if incurred injury when walking to the home office!

Court Rules, Workers’ Comp claimable if incurred injury when walking to the home office!

A German man claimed for Workers’ Compensation after slipping on his way from his room to his home office. The website, Complex, states that The Guardian reported that a court in Germany ruled the man’s walk from his home to his work office is considered as him commuting. There are two levels in the man’s house connected via a spiral staircase. He had apparently slipped while descending the stairs to get to his home office. He fell to the ground and broke his back. The employers had also denied him insurance coverage. According to the court documents, the man’s walk was considered as the first walk of the day considering that he hadn’t had breakfast till then. The Higher federal court explained that ‘the first morning journey from his bed to his home office is an insured work route, thus, leaning more towards the man’s appeal. The court claims that he could not have had claimed for a workers’ comp if had had walked tohis home office after having eaten.

The German Court also reportedly said that the plaintiff suffering the incident whilst walking to his work place when having not eaten, is a sign of a workplace incident. This is because, if the insured activity is carried out anywhere, be it inside home or any location, it is to be considered equivalent to incidents inside a company premises. The court also made it crystal clear that the law pertained to teleworking jobs as well as permanently set-up work spaces the employer set-up for their employees in a private area.

Sources: (https://www.complex.com/life/man-can-claim-workers-comp-injuring-himself-walk-bedroom-to-home-office-court