Australian court rules no workers’ comp for sex injury

Australia’s highest court on Wednesday denied workers’ compensation to a government employee who was injured while having sex in a motel room during a business trip. The 4-2 decision from the High Court said the woman’s employer did not induce or encourage her to participate in the sex, so the federal government’s insurer, Comcare, was not liable to compensate her. A lower court had said the woman was injured in the course of her employment and should be compensated. The High Court’s ruling is final and could have ramifications for other federal employees who claim compensation for unconventional work-related mishaps. The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was a federal civil servant in her 30s when she was hospitalized for the injury in 2007. She and a man were having sex in her motel room when a glass light fixture above the bed fell onto her face, injuring her nose and mouth. She later suffered depression and was unable to continue working for the government. Comcare initially approved her claim for workers’ compensation, but rejected it after further investigation.