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Appellate Division Holds Employee Who Was Required To Report To Work During Snow Storm Was Covered During Commute Even Though He Was Reporting To Normal Work Site

In a rather unique unreported case, the Appellate Division recently held that a drive to the normal work site can be considered compensable on the facts in Minter v. Mattson, A-1916-15T4 (App. Div. May 10, 2018).  The case involved a kitchen worker, Antoine Minter, who called out of work due to a heavy snow storm that started the night before.  Minter advised his supervisor, Dan Beggs, the executive chef, that he had to miss his morning shift since the morning bus to work was not running on account of the snow storm.

The food service in the dining hall was essential, so the dining director, John Lear, came up with an alternative plan to get Minter to work.  Lear contacted Beggs, who advised the dining supervisor, William Mattson, to pick up Minter on the way to work since both Minter and Mattson lived in the same town.  According to Minter’s testimony, Mattson told him that Beggs made clear that Minter had to come in during the snowstorm.   Minter testified that he thought he would be fired if he refused.  The two men had ridden together to work before.  Mattson picked up Minter while the storm was still heavy and roads were ice-packed.  Mattson lost control of the car he was driving, entering the path of an oncoming pick-up truck.  In the collision, Minter suffered two broken legs, fractured ribs, and a deep laceration to his left arm.

The case was heard in Superior Court because Minter tried to bring a civil suit against Mattson and his employers.  The outcome of the civil suit depended largely on whether the two men were in the course of their employment. The employers argued that Minter’s only remedy was workers’ compensation and moved to dismiss the civil law suit.  Later the workers’ compensation carrier for the employer, Manufacturers Alliance Insurance Company, was joined in the suit, and the compensation carrier argued that Minter was not in the course of his employment because he was just on his way to work.  The compensation carrier argued that travel to and from work is excluded under N.J.S.A. 34:15-36.  The special mission exception only applies to trips away from the employer’s place of business.

Minter argued that he was compelled to perform an activity that he would not have otherwise engaged in, since he had called out that morning.  He relied on the case of Lozano v. Frank Deluca Constr., 178 N.J. 513 (2004), which held that an otherwise excluded activity may be deemed compensable if the employer compels the activity and if the employee has a reasonable basis to believe that participation in the activity is compelled.

The compensation carrier argued that the principle of compulsion could not be applied to drives to and from work because attendance at work is compelled for all employees.  All employees are subject to termination if they fail to report to work. But the Appellate Division disagreed:  “In one sense, travel to and from work is always compelled.  Employers set work schedules and employees are generally expected to comply.  Those who do not comply usually risk losing their jobs.  But, the compulsion in Minter’s case was specific and exceptional.  Minter had already called out for the day. Thus, if he could establish that his employer compelled his non-work-related activity – the journey to work in a co-worker’s vehicle on a day he had already announced he would not work – the accident would be covered.”

The Appellate Division also noted that Minter could have argued that he was involved in a ride-sharing arrangement under N.J.S.A. 34:15-36.  That would have rendered his commute compensable.  However, his attorney never made that argument.  The Court emphasized that Minter’s belief that he might have been fired had he refused to come to work was objectively reasonable.  “In sum, Minter was injured in the course of his employment, despite the fact that he was not yet at his employer’s premises, because his employer had compelled his travel to work with a co-worker on a day he had already informed his employer he was not going to come in.”

This is the first Appellate Division level decision since the 1979 Amendments to the workers’ compensation law which has embraced the concept of compensability of a drive to a normal work site based on compulsion.  There is no reported case standing for this proposition.  The normal rule is that one is not at work until one arrives at premises owned or controlled by the employer.   Even though it is an unreported decision, this case is important because it charts new territory on compensability. The factual situation addressed in this case is one that does occur for employers with some frequency given severe weather conditions in the winter months.  It remains to be seen whether this logic is eventually embraced in a reported decision.

Our thanks to Ron Siegel, Esq. for bringing this case to our attention.

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About the Author

About the Author:

John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.

Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.

Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.

A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

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Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.

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