During a business trip, a traveling employee stops for lunch and is injured. Which rule most often governs compensability?

During a business trip, a traveling employee stops for lunch and is injured. Which rule most often governs compensability?

• A. Compensable due to the commercial traveler rule.
• B. Not compensable due to the coming and going rule.
• C. Compensable due to the bunkhouse rule.
• D. Not compensable because the employee was on a lunch break.

Answer: (A)

When a employee is on a business trip, the trip itself is considered part of the job, so activities during travel—like stopping for lunch—can still be within the course of employment. This is the commercial traveler rule: injuries that occur during a business traveler’s meals or rest stops on the trip are compensable because the purpose of the trip is work and the travel isn’t a personal deviation. The ordinary going-and-coming rule doesn’t apply here since the injury happens while the employee is on a work-related journey. The bunkhouse rule isn’t relevant to this scenario. So, the injury is compensable under the traveling/business-travel rule.

When a employee is on a business trip, the trip itself is considered part of the job, so activities during travel—like stopping for lunch—can still be within the course of employment. This is the commercial traveler rule: injuries that occur during a business traveler’s meals or rest stops on the trip are compensable because the purpose of the trip is work and the travel isn’t a personal deviation. The ordinary going-and-coming rule doesn’t apply here since the injury happens while the employee is on a work-related journey. The bunkhouse rule isn’t relevant to this scenario. So, the injury is compensable under the traveling/business-travel rule.