In theory, work injury claims are a legitimate way of ensuring that employees are provided financial compensation for the serious injuries and inconveniences they are caused because of a work related accident.
However, some of the claims people attempt to make can be seen as a laughing matter, as employees try to get away with claiming compensation for peculiar accidents, funny behavior, and in some cases, incidents which verge on the bizarre.
1. The Show Off
One worker making a work injury claim wanted to receive money for showing off to other employees. This person was attempting to prove to others that they could lift an air compressor. Although this surely took a huge effort, their attempt succeeded and they managed to lift it.
However, rather unsurprisingly this caused them to strain their back and they wanted financial compensation for pain they had to endure as a result.
2. Horny Head Injury
Another person wanted payment for the long term effects caused by the head injuries they had suffered at work. They made the claim that these head injuries had created an increase in their libido which had in turn caused them turmoil within their personal life as they affiliated these injuries with their subsequent affairs and the breakdown of their marriage.
3. The Cookie that Didn’t Crumble
Other workers have made work injury claims for unfortunate accidents they have had whilst away from the work place and out on their own, when their employee could have no direct influence or play a supervisory role. This was the case with one employee in Sweden who attempted to make a claim for the tooth they chipped whilst taking a bite from a cookie at a customer’s house.
The cookie the customer offered him had a cherry pit still in it that did then damage to his tooth and required dental repairs. His compensation claims were denied but he took it to the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court who ruled in the claimants favor.
4. Don’t Blame my Dog
An employee in Oregon USA recently won a claim involving her family dog. The lady stored fabric samples relating to her work in her garage. While taking some of the samples from within her garage to the work van in her drive she tripped over her family dog and broke her wrist.
You might think ‘Fido’ would have got the blame for the injury but the employee claimed for damages against her company and won.
5. Shaking the House Down
Perhaps one of the most bizarre work injury claims to date though has to be that of the Australian woman who received financial compensation for an injury she suffered whilst having sex when she was away on a business trip.
Whilst this was happening a light fixture fell from the ceiling and landed on her, causing her facial injuries. Although her claim was initially rejected by her employers because they had not encouraged or had anything to do with this recreational behavior. The issue was pursued in the courts and she was eventually granted compensation because her injuries had happened during her course of employment.
The judge who ruled in favor of her said that the nature of the activity was irrelevant. And that the same employee would have been given compensation if she had been injured playing cards or partaking in other recreational activity whilst she was away. In turn emphasizing the fact that her being involved in a work trip and the accident happening during her time of employment was the crucial factor with regards to her claim being successful.
Victor is a law student and passionate blogger from Australia, who writes on personal injury related issues with focus on their effect on all parties involved. He is also as a consultant for Gold Coast Lawyers.
