Woman injured on business trip seeks Workers’ Comp

An employee was injured after hours on a business trip when walking across a moat to her hotel. Photo: Bargotiphotography/Shutterstock

M. Bujan was an executive assistant for Dura Automotive Systems in Michigan and traveled to Germany for a business retreat and training in June 2008. She stayed in an old castle that had been converted into a hotel, complete with a moat covered by a bridge. While walking across the bridge one night, Bujan slipped and fell into the moat, suffering a spinal fracture with permanent paralysis from the chest down.

Because she was traveling on business when injured, she filed a Workers’ Compensation claim against Dura Automotive Systems for her lost wages, non-medical expenses (including attendant care), physical therapy and future medical expenses. She claimed that she was disabled and unable to work. Dura denied the claim because the accident happened after she had completed her work for the day and argued that she was able to work in some capacity to help mitigate some of her damages.