Workers’ Comp Outside The Workplace

Making a workers’ compensation claim is relatively straightforward if you’re hurt in your office or manufacturing floor. But can you still receive benefits if you were injured doing work-related activities away from your place of employment?

The answer is yes. While making a case for workers’ comp benefits can be more challenging if you were hurt outside of work, you may still have a compensable claim. You must prove that the injury happened while you were doing work you were paid to complete. For example, if you were traveling to work, you wouldn’t be eligible for compensation unless you were paid for your time; for instance, some on-call employees are paid for travel time.

Another instance where you could be eligible for workers’ compensation: If you’re out of the office due to your job requirements. If your boss asked you to travel to a client’s office or even to pick up office supplies from the store down the road, and you were seriously hurt, you could claim workers’ compensation.

If you have clear documentation of being paid for your work while at home or traveling, you must be able to show that the injury happened solely as a result of doing that work. In other words, if you’re in your home office and a tree falls, striking you in the head, it would be less likely that you could make a case for receiving workers’ comp. But if the company-issued laptop you used to work from your home office malfunctioned, delivering a severe electric shock, you might have a reasonable claim.

Claims where you might be eligible for workers’ compensation while outside work premises are challenging to prove. Consulting with a skilled workers’ compensation attorney is an excellent first step to determining if you have a case. For a free consultation, call the Slaughter Law Firm at 423-844-0560 to discuss your case and all your options.