Running a personal errand during work is that considered the employer’s responsiblity
A client involved in a Union County Workers’ Compensation case asked the following question: can a person claim workers’ compensation benefits if he/she gets injured while at work doing his job but taking a brief hiatus to run a personal errand? The simple answer to that question may be no but I would need additional information. For instance,
According to Jumpp v. City of Ventnor, 177 N.J. 470, 828 A.2d 905 (2002) the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the workers’ compensation judge’s ruling that such an employee is NOT entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
In Jumpp the New Jersey Supreme Court addressed the limited issue, “whether a city worker, whose daily duties required him to visit various sites within the city’s boundaries, is eligible for workers’ compensation benefits when he was accidentally injured during the workday but while on a personal errand. We hold that generally there must be a finding that the off-premises employee is performing his or her work responsibilities at the time of the injury in order for the injury to be compensable. We also hold that minor deviations from the employee’s prescribed responsibilities survive the 1979 amendments to the workers’ compensation statute.”
The New Jersey Supreme Court concentrated on the fact that the city worker ran a personal errand (although authorized by employer) thus, he was not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
If you have a similar situation that resulted in a work place injury, call Dan T. Matrafajlo for a free office or telephone consultation.
Dan T. Matrafajlo, Esq. is the Managing Member and Lead Partner at Beninato & Matrafajlo, Attorneys at Law, LLC, a New Jersey-based personal injury law firm with offices in Elizabeth and East Brunswick. With over two decades of experience representing clients in complex matters—including motor vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death cases—he has recovered over $100 million on behalf of his clients and is known for securing significant results. He has also helped shape New Jersey personal injury law through notable Appellate Division decisions such as Hardison v. King and Frenklakh v. Lojek, with his litigation work featured in the New Jersey Law Journal, underscoring his authority in the field.
Mr. Matrafajlo was recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Stars honoree from 2012 to 2017 and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum—an honor reserved for attorneys who have achieved multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Combining deep legal expertise with a client-focused approach, he provides strategic, results-driven representation while guiding clients through every stage of the legal process. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York.
