For many Minnesota residents, official job duties sometimes go beyond the scope of the place of employment and regular business hours. At Lindberg Law, P.C., we understand there are some instances where you might get injured when you aren’t at work or working your normal hours, but which still qualify as a work-related accident.
FindLaw explains that workers’ compensation can cover you if you were injured performing a work-related duty off the clock or away from work. The following situations may apply:
- You were in a car accident while driving to pick up sandwiches for an afternoon meeting.
- During a trip to an out-of-state conference, you became ill when someone with norovirus spread the germs throughout the airplane.
- Your boss asked you to mail a package on your way home from work, and you slipped on gravel on the sidewalk outside the post office.
The coming-and-going rule can also apply for workers’ compensation. This involves an accident on the premises before or after you clock in. For example, you get hit by a car in the office parking lot on your way in. Or, on your way out of the building after work, your arm gets caught in the building’s automatic door. On the other hand, an accident that occurs while you are driving to work or heading home doesn’t count for workers’ compensation if you are off the premises and not engaged in a work-related errand.
Our page on job-related accidents explains more about your rights when filing a workers’ compensation claim.
