Denny's Restaurant v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board

597 A.2d 1241, 142 Pa. Commw. 531, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 529
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 27, 1991
Docket481 C.D. 1991
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 597 A.2d 1241 (Denny's Restaurant v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Denny's Restaurant v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board, 597 A.2d 1241, 142 Pa. Commw. 531, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 529 (Pa. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

NARICK, Senior Judge.

Denny’s Restaurant (Employer) petitions for review of an order of the Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Board) which affirmed the referee’s decision awarding disability benefits to Phillip Stanton (Claimant) for injuries sustained while he was in the course of his employment. We affirm.

Claimant was employed as a busboy at Employer’s Roxborough location and was in training to become a waiter at Employer’s City Line Avenue location. On October 20, 1985, Claimant was scheduled to have a day off, but was called by David Mancuso, the manager of the Roxborough Denny’s, to work as a waiter. Mr. Mancuso did not indicate to which location Claimant should report. After arriving at *534 the City Line Avenue Denny’s, Claimant spoke by phone to Mr. Maneuso, and was told to come to the Roxborough Denny’s. Claimant then took a bus from the one restaurant to the other. As Claimant was crossing the street after exiting from the bus, he was struck by a car and sustained serious injuries.

On January 16,1986, Claimant filed a petition for compensation seeking total disability benefits as a result of the accident. Employer did not dispute the severity of Claimant’s injuries nor the extent of his disability, but denied the allegation that the injury was work-related.

Claimant testified on his own behalf. He also presented the testimony of Pamela Ford, his girlfriend, and the deposition testimony of Jeanne Pelensky, M.D., one of his treating physicians. Employer presented the testimony of Mr. Mancuso.

In a decision issued October 23,1989, the referee awarded benefits to Claimant, concluding that the injury occurred while the Claimant was acting in the scope of his employment. The following are pertinent findings of fact as formulated by the referee:

10. As to the issue of whether the Claimant’s injury was in the scope of his employment with the Defendant, and related thereto, the Referee specifically finds as follows:
(a) David Maneuso, the Defendant’s manager at the Roxborough restaurant, never specifically directed the Claimant to report to a specific location;
(b) The Claimant, when directed by David Maneuso to report to the Roxborough restaurant, was already at the Defendant’s premises on City Line Avenue;
(c) At the time of his injury, the Claimant was in transit from one Defendant premises to another.
11. As a result of the Claimant’s status at both restaurants, and lack of specific instruction as to where he should work on October 20, 1985, the Referee finds the Claimant’s initial reporting to work at the City Line Avenue restaurant was reasonable.

*535 Employer appealed to the Board alleging the referee committed an error of law when he concluded that Claimant was acting within the scope of employment at the time of the accident. However, the Board affirmed the referee’s decision and Employer appealed to this Court. 1

The issue raised for review by Employer is whether Claimant was engaged in the scope of his employment at the time of the accident. This issue is a question of law to be determined on the basis of the referee’s findings of fact and is reviewable by this Court. Jones v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Rehabilitation Coordinators, Inc.), 88 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 426, 489 A.2d 1006 (1985).

Section 301(c)(1) of The Pennsylvania Workmen’s Compensation Act (Act) 2 reads in pertinent part:

The terms “injury” and “personal injury,” as used in this act, shall be construed to mean an injury to an employe, regardless of his previous physical condition, arising in the course of his employment and related thereto____ The term “injury arising in the course of his employment,” ... shall include all other injuries sustained while the employe is actually engaged in the furtherance of the business or affairs of the employer, whether upon the employer’s premises or elsewhere____

Employer argues that Claimant was on his way to work at the time of his injury and had not yet begun to perform his duties for Employer. We have applied the “going-and-coming” rule to claims that arise while an employee is traveling to or coming from work. Jones. An employee’s injury sustained at those times will not be considered to have occurred in the course of his employment, unless: “(1) the employment contract included trans *536 portation to and from work; (2) the claimant has no fixed place of work; (3) the claimant is on special assignment for the employer; or (4) special circumstances are such that the claimant was furthering the business of the employer.” Id., 88 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. at 429, 489 A.2d at 1007-08. See also W.F. Rittner Co. v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Rittner), 76 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 596, 464 A.2d 675 (1983).

The referee found that “Claimant’s employment with the Defendant did not include transportation to and from work. Moreover, the Claimant did have at least two fixed places of employment.” Referee’s Decision at p. 5. Furthermore, the referee found “that at the very least, Phillip Stanton was on a special mission for the Defendant or has established ‘special circumstances’ showing he was furthering the Defendant’s business.” Id.

An employee will be considered to have suffered an injury in the “course of employment” if the employee is injured while actually engaged in the furtherance of employer’s business or affairs. Pypers v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Baker), 105 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 448, 524 A.2d 1046 (1987). Our courts have analyzed “course of employment” cases in two ways depending upon whether the employee is categorized as a “traveling employee” or a “stationary employee.” Collins v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (American Society for Testing and Materials), 99 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 228, 512 A.2d 1349 (1986), petition for allowance of appeal denied, 515 Pa. 610, 529 A.2d 1083 (1987). In cases concerning “traveling employees” the “course of employment” is broader with a presumption that the employee is engaged in the furtherance of employer’s business. Port Authority of Allegheny County v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board (Stevens), 70 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 163, 452 A.2d 902 (1982). In cases concerning “stationary employees” the interpretation of “course of employment” is narrower. Collins. There must be evidence that the trip away from employer’s premises was business related.

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Bluebook (online)
597 A.2d 1241, 142 Pa. Commw. 531, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dennys-restaurant-v-workmens-compensation-appeal-board-pacommwct-1991.