Fact Checked Getting injured while traveling for work can raise difficult questions about whether workers compensation benefits may apply. Wisconsin law outlines several guidelines that help determine when an injury relates to your job and when it may fall outside an employer’s responsibility. The key issue often centers on why you were traveling and how closely that travel connects to your work duties.
The limits of your daily commute
In many situations, injuries that occur during a routine commute between your home and your regular workplace, also called as the going and coming rule, may fall outside workers compensation coverage. The law often treats a normal commute as a personal activity rather than a work duty.
Still, certain circumstances may lead to a different result. For example, some employees work from a regular home office that their employer authorizes. In that situation, your workday might begin at home. An injury on your property while starting a work task could potentially raise questions about coverage.
Protections for local business travel
Some jobs require regular travel throughout the day. When your employer expects you to drive or travel as part of your role, workers compensation protections may apply more readily.
Common examples of work related travel may include the following:
- Driving between job sites during the same shift
- Running errands or completing deliveries for your supervisor
- Transporting tools, materials or coworkers for business purposes
- Attending meetings, conferences or training sessions away from your usual office
In situations like these, travel often connects directly to your job responsibilities.
Broader coverage during business trips
Coverage may become broader when your employer sends you out of town for work. Wisconsin courts sometimes apply what many refer to as the traveling employee rule. Under this concept, your activities during the trip may remain connected to your job in many everyday situations.
That connection may extend to activities such as:
- Traveling to and from the out of town work location
- Walking to a nearby restaurant for a meal
- Staying in a hotel during the trip
- Moving between scheduled work related events
These activities often relate to the basic needs of daily living while you travel for work.
How personal detours can affect coverage
Even though travel coverage can be broad, it does have limits. A personal detour sometimes called a private deviation may interrupt workers compensation protection. For instance, an injury that occurs during a sightseeing trip or a personal visit unrelated to work might fall outside the scope of employment.
Coverage may return once you resume the work related portion of your trip. Travel injury claims often depend on the specific facts of the situation. Decision makers may look closely at your employer’s instructions, your travel schedule and the purpose of your activities at the time of the injury.
Why the details of your travel matter
Keeping records of assignments, schedules and work related travel may help clarify how the trip connects to your job duties. Understanding how Wisconsin workers compensation rules apply to travel may also help you recognize when an injury on the road might still relate to your work.
