Oftentimes around the holidays, employers and companies hold celebratory parties and festivities. Although these can be fun and a great way to end the year with your coworkers, unexpected injuries can sometimes occur at these events. If you have been injured at a holiday gathering for work, you may be wondering if you are eligible to receive Workers’ Compensation. There are several factors that come into play when assessing a Workers’ Compensation case relating to a holiday work party injury. No Workers’ Compensation claim is alike, so it is important that you contact a Workers’ Compensation attorney so they can look at your unique and specific case to come up with the best plan of action to fight for compensation as a result of your injury.

There are two primary types of injuries resulting from holiday parties that can bring rise to a Workers’ Compensation claim. Although these are two general categories, you may have experienced a scenario in which you potentially have two claims against your employer depending on the nature and context of your injury.

• Injured while driving to the holiday gathering

If you are injured while driving to your work party this holiday season, your eligibility for Workers’ Compensation is dependent on whether or not the party was mandatory as well as the location of the party. If you are traveling to a mandatory holiday work function at your office, it is very likely that you have grounds to bring a Workers’ Compensation claim against your employer. If on the other hand, you are traveling to an offsite work party that was not organized or required by your employer, you may have more difficulty attaining benefits for that injury. Although it might be more of a challenging case if your injury was a result of a non-mandatory offsite function, it is important to still consult a Workers’ Compensation attorney to find out if you could be eligible for a reward of some sort to compensate you for your injury.

• Injured while at the holiday gathering

The second scenario relating to a work gathering injury is if you were injured during the party. Similar to an injury incurred while driving to the work party, the location of the party as well as and whether or not the party is required by your employer are essential factors in determining who is at fault for your injury. Even though it may seem as though you would be unable to earn Workers’ Compensation benefits if you are injured at a holiday gathering not held at your place of work, that is not always the case. It is important to understand that if you are injured at any celebration or gathering relating to your job, you very likely could have a strong case to file a Workers’ Compensation claim.

Although receiving Workers’ Compensation benefits for a workplace injury does relieve some of the stress and burden caused by your accident, it would be ideal to avoid undergoing the process of filing a claim and healing from an injury altogether. Here are a few ways that you can best protect yourself from suffering from an injury while traveling to or at a workplace party this holiday season:

• Do not drive if the roads are in bad condition
• Wear shoes with good grip and traction to avoid slips and falls on wet floors
• Do not eat any food that looks like it could be undercooked or spoiled 
• Avoid attending any holiday gatherings with large crowds of people 

Poirier Law Firm wishes you a safe and happy holiday. If you find yourself injured as a result of a holiday workplace party, do not hesitate to call our team. We will help determine your best course of action for filing a claim and will fight for you!