An accountant took work home for an annual report. The employee left work at the normally appointed hour and was not reimbursed for mileage. The employee was injured in an auto accident at an intersection one block from home and his supervisor found paperwork in the car. You should?

An accountant took work home for an annual report. The employee left work at the normally appointed hour and was not reimbursed for mileage. The employee was injured in an auto accident at an intersection one block from home and his supervisor found paperwork in the car. You should?

• A. Accept as an exception to the coming and going rule.
• B. Delay and investigate.
• C. Deny.
• D. Close the file.

Answer: (A)

This question tests the exception to the going-and-coming rule in California workers’ compensation. Normally, injuries that occur during a commute are not compensable because the trip is for personal travel. However, there’s an important exception when the employee is performing employer business on the way to or from work. Here, the accountant took work home for a report, and the supervisor found paperwork in the car. Those facts show the employee was carrying out employer duties during travel, so the injury happened in the course of employment despite the near-home location. Therefore it should be accepted as an exception to the going-and-coming rule.

This question tests the exception to the going-and-coming rule in California workers’ compensation. Normally, injuries that occur during a commute are not compensable because the trip is for personal travel. However, there’s an important exception when the employee is performing employer business on the way to or from work. Here, the accountant took work home for a report, and the supervisor found paperwork in the car. Those facts show the employee was carrying out employer duties during travel, so the injury happened in the course of employment despite the near-home location. Therefore it should be accepted as an exception to the going-and-coming rule.