Applicant did not suffer a work related injury when he fell in a parking lot one block from work

• Posted By: Harvey Brown
• November 1, 2019

This is a writ denied case

This is a very significant case for workers’ compensation principles.

The applicant tripped and fell while walking after work from his place of employment to a parking lot one block away. The defendant denied the injury on the basis of AOE-COE raising the “Going and Coming’ rule. 

The employer did not provide parking for its employees. The supervisor gave suggestions as to different lots the employee could park. The lot the employee parked at was not on the employer’s premises. The employer did not own or control the parking lot.

The Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) ruled the employee was not barred by the “going and coming” rule. The WCJ indicated the employer required the employees to park offsite and the employer benefitted from not having to provide parking for its employees. The WCJ indicated the employee was in the course of his employment while walking between his office and the parking lot.

The defendant filed a petition for reconsideration. The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) rescinded the WCJ decision in a split panel decision.

The WCAB ruled the was not a “special risk”. The WCAB ruled the applicant was subject to the same risks of walking between parking lot and the employers’ premises as any other pedestrian. They evaluated whether this was a “borderline case” and determined it was not. The injury was non industrial.

Case:

• Posted In: Appeal, Work Injury