Am I protected by Law if injured on a Company Event outside normal Place of Employment in NJ?
Workers’ compensation is designed to reimburse employees injured during “the course of employment”, or for injuries “arising out of employment”. The main benefit to workers’ compensation is that injured employees can recover compensation for their medical expenses and lost income without needing to prove fault or negligence by any other party.
However, there is a bit of a legal grey area when it comes to injuries to employees during company events outside of the normal place of employment, or outside their normal working hours. Things like company parties, company events, or company-sponsored sports teams can all easily result in an injury, but can you recover workers’ compensation for those kinds of injuries? Let’s take a look.
New Brunswick Workers Compensation Lawyers Examine “Course of Employment”
Part of the definition of an injury which is eligible for workers’ compensation includes “injuries which occur during the course of employment”. The question then becomes, are work events, work parties, or company sponsored sporting event part of the course of employment?
When answering this key question, most courts will consider the following factors:
- The extent to which your company expected or required you to attend the event
- The extent to which the event was sponsored by your company
- The extent to which your company benefits from holding the event
- Whether or not the event took place on company property
- Whether or not the event took place during regular working hours
- The frequency and regularity that the event in question is held
While these are all questions that any workers’ compensation court will consider, the answer to these questions and how they impact the court’s decision often depends a great deal upon the arguments and presentations your New Brunswick workers’ compensation attorney can make. With that being said, there are also some important facts which, if true, could greatly strengthen your workers’ compensation claim.
Trenton Workers Compensation Attorneys Discuss Company Event Injury Claims
If your company and their insurance policy provider are denying your workers’ compensation claim for injuries sustained at some kind of company event, there are certain scenarios which will greatly help you and your Hamilton workers’ compensation attorney to secure you the compensation that you need and deserve for your injuries.
These are a few potential scenarios which would provide you with a much more solid workers’ compensation claim when it comes to injuries sustained at a work event or a work party:
- The event included any team-building exercises
- The event put you and other employees in a situation with potential clients or potential recruits
- Your company provided transportation for attendees to the event
- Your company actively promoted the event to its employees
- The event occurred during regular working hours
- The event is considered part of your company’s corporate culture or is a deeply ingrained company institution
Contact Our Mercer County Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Today
Of course, anytime an insurance company is denying your workers’ compensation claim, one of the most important things you can do is to retain the counsel of an experienced Mercer County workers’ compensation attorney. Your attorney will be able to provide you with insight into your claim, its strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately help you to recover the compensation that you need and deserve for any kind of work-related injury, including injuries sustained at a work party or work event.
At The Law Office of Cohen & Riechelson, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients to recover compensation in personal injury claims and workers’ compensation claims alike in towns across Mercer County, including Trenton, Hamilton, Lawrence, Princeton, and New Brunswick.
Practicing law since 1972, our firm has earned a well-deserved reputation for effective and tenacious service, and insurance companies across the state understand this and tend to be much more willing to offer our clients fair settlements as a result.
To speak with our attorney team today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your workers’ compensation claim, and how exactly we can help you to recover compensation for your medical expenses and lost income, please contact us online, or through our Hamilton, NJ office at (609) 528-2596.
