You Be The Judge: Is This Parking Lot Injury Compensable?

A Georgia appeals court is asked to decide if a worker’s injury falls within the coming and going rule while she’s off the clock. A seamstress for Bremen-Bowdon Investment Company parked in a lot owned by the employer. In order to get to and from the parking lot, she had to walk down a public sidewalk and cross the street. On the date of the injury, the seamstress left her workstation for her regularly scheduled lunch break and planned to drive to her home. Bremen-Bowdon’s employees were allowed to leave the workplace and do whatever they wished during this regularly scheduled lunch break. As she walked to her car, the seamstress tripped on the sidewalk and was injured. She sought workers’ compensation benefits, including temporary total disability benefits beginning the day after her injury, payment of medical bills, designation of a certain doctor as the authorized treating physician, and attorney’s fees.