When Things Get Weird, Volume 2: Unusual Cases of Workers’ Comp

A person getting hurt at the workplace is never funny. But it can be instructional to examine some of the strangest ways people manage to become injured at work. Hear about some “interesting” cases. 

A schoolteacher whose leg “fell asleep” while he sat in a classroom falls trying to stand up. He broke his femur. Is he entitled to compensation from his employer? 

An Amtrak baggage handler was visiting the restroom when someone tossed a firecracker into the room. Startled, he fell and was injured; is Amtrak responsible? How about a city worker who says he picked up a firecracker he found on the job, and it mysteriously exploded, injuring him? 

People get hurt at work, but as these and other cases illustrate, it’s not always the responsibility of the employer. (And sometimes, workers do silly things…).

Special thanks to our sponsor PInow.