Opinion ID: 2166618
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: arising in course of employment

Text: The in the course of requirement of § 48-101 has been defined as testing the work connection as to time, place, and activity; that is, it demands that the injury be shown to have arisen within the time and space boundaries of the employment, and in the course of an activity whose purpose is related to the employment. Skinner v. Ogallala Pub. Sch. Dist. No. 1, 262 Neb. 387, 631 N.W.2d 510 (2001). An injury is said to arise in the course of the employment when it takes place within the period of the employment, at a place where the employee reasonably may be, and while the employee is fulfilling work duties or engaged in doing something incidental thereto. Skinner v. Ogallala Pub. Sch. Dist. No. 1, supra . The majority of the review panel relied upon La Croix v. Omaha Public Schools, 254 Neb. 1014, 582 N.W.2d 283 (1998), Johnson v. Holdrege Med. Clinic, 249 Neb. 77, 541 N.W.2d 399 (1996), and Thomsen v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 192 Neb. 236, 219 N.W.2d 746 (1974), in reversing the trial judge's award. The review panel's reliance on these cases was misplaced because the going to or coming from work rule is inapplicable to the present case. Misek was already at work, and was in the process of taking a rest or coffee break when her injury occurred. This finding is in accord with King Waterproofing Co. v. Slovsky, 71 Md.App. 247, 524 A.2d 1245 (1987). In King Waterproofing Co., the employee was struck by a car while crossing the street during his coffee break. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals held that the injury sustained arose out of and in the course of his employment. Professor Larson tells us: Now that the coffee break or rest break has become a fixture of many kinds of employment, close questions continue to arise on the compensability of injuries occurring off the premises during rest periods or coffee breaks of various durations and subject to various conditions. It is clear that one cannot announce an all-purpose coffee break rule, since there are too many variables that could affect the result.... The operative principle which should be used to draw the line here is this: If the employer, in all the circumstances, including duration, shortness of the off-premises distance, and limitations on off-premises activity during the interval can be deemed to have retained authority over the employee, the off-premises injury may be found to be within the course of employment. 1 Arthur Larson & Lex K. Larson, Larson's Workers' Compensation Law § 13.05[4] at 13-61 to 13-62 (2002). The trial judge of the compensation court found that CNG Financial exercised sufficient control over Misek by acquiescing to her request to go to the convenience store and buy soft drinks for herself and others. Whether an injury arose out of and in the course of employment must be determined from the facts of each case. Torres v. Aulick Leasing, 261 Neb. 1016, 628 N.W.2d 212 (2001). Factual determinations made by the trial judge of the compensation court have the effect of a jury verdict and will not be disturbed unless clearly wrong. Id. Misek also testified that she generally stayed in the area during her breaks and would prematurely end her break and return to work early if business picked up while she was away. Misek was paid for her time during a break. In addition, Misek had previously traveled off-premises to buy soft drinks for herself and her coworkers, sometimes at the request of her supervisor. These facts are not in dispute. Where there is no factual dispute, the question of whether the injury arose out of and in the course of employment is clearly one of law, in connection with which a reviewing court has an obligation to reach its own conclusions independent of those reached by the inferior courts. Skinner v. Ogallala Pub. Sch. Dist. No. 1, 262 Neb. 387, 631 N.W.2d 510 (2001). Under these facts, we determine that CNG Financial retained control over Misek during her break. Her injury thus arose in the course of her employment.