Workers’ compensation is available to help employees injured on the job, but there are exceptions. You may find it difficult to get coverage from workers’ compensation if you were hurt on the way to or from a job site due to what’s known as the “going and coming” rule. It’s important to understand how this rule works and if it applies to your situation.
When Workers’ Comp May Cover Your Traveling Injury
In many cases, your injury simply won’t be covered under workers’ compensation if it occurred while walking, driving, or taking public transportation to work or back home. However, there are potential exceptions to this rule, and that’s why it's important to enlist the aid of a legal team that knows how the system works. A workers’ comp lawyer may be able to help if:
● You were hurt while running an errand at your employer’s request
● You were injured while performing job-mandated duties along the way to or from work
● You were injured on a route that is inherently dangerous and directly maintained by your employer, or it is the only way to access your work location
● Your transportation method was directly provided by your employer, or you were compensated for the travel time
It's important to know that workers’ compensation isn’t usually available when simply driving to or from your daily shift or to a mandatory staff meeting. However, the coming and going rule doesn’t apply when performing an unusual service that falls outside your normal duties such as coming home after traveling outside your usual route for a work emergency.
Have You Been Injured On The Job?
If you've been hurt at your job you can speak with a workers' compensation lawyer. Please contact us online or call our Charleston, South Carolina office directly at 843.488.2359 to schedule your consultation. We are also able to meet clients at our Conway, Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Mt. Pleasant, North Myrtle Beach or North Charleston office locations.
