NORTHFIELD, NJ – January 21, 2014 – On January 17, 2014, the New Jersey Appellate Court affirmed the Workers’ Compensation Trial Court’s decision finding a Harrah’s Atlantic City Resort and Casino’s employee and client of Petro Cohen, P.C. law firm, driving out of her employer’s parking lot and struck by another vehicle on a public road, was entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. The Court reasoned that the employee was legally in the course of her employment, as she had not completely left the employer’s parking lot when the accident occurred.
The Appellate Court rejected Harrah’s argument that since the accident occurred on a public road the employee should be denied workers’ compensation benefits. The Appellate Court determined that under the facts of the case, the employee’s SUV was still in part on the employer-designated parking lot, even though the impact occurred on the intersecting public road.
Frank Petro, Esq. of Petro Cohen, P.C., the attorney for the employee stated, “The Appellate Division agreed with the Trial Judge that the workers’ compensation law is to be liberally interpreted in a common sense fashion to protect employees until they have fully left their place of employment. Workers’ Compensation is designed to protect employees who are injured in the course of their employment.”
The Northfield, NJ law firm of Petro Cohen, P.C. Attorneys at Law specializes in workers’ compensation, personal injury litigation, and Social Security disability law. For more information, contact Susan Petro at (609) 677-1700.
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