Normally, this fine and cutting-edge blog confines itself to the goings-on and happenings of California workers’ compensation, in particular the stories and cases that make the defense community better equipped to deal with the wolves growling at our proverbial doors.  But not today.  Today your humble blogger could not resist the temptation to post on a story out of Australia that made it into the WCDefenseCA inbox thanks to the thoughtfulness of a few very kind readers.

A woman in Australia has successfully argued that her injury sustained while engaged in behavior that cannot be described in any detail on this family-friendly blog should be compensable.  Her employer sent her on a business trip to another town.  While there, she contacted a “friend” of hers and the two returned to her hotel room.  While “going hard,” in the words of the eloquent “friend,” a light fixture fell off the wall and hit her, resulting in “facial and psychological injuries.”

In the course of employment, indeed.

The Australian Federal Court held that she was entitled to compensation, just like she would have been had she been playing cards in the same hotel room.  The Federal Court is not the highest court of the land, so common sense may still prevail.

WCDefenseCA is not aware if the woman has pursued any action against the hotel or the maker of the light fixture, but in terms of pure fairness, they seem like more culpable and punishable candidates than the employer.  But such is the cruel fate of employers in Australia – where all is fair in love and work[ers compensation].  G’day!