Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
You may be covered by workers’ compensation benefits if you get hurt at a company event. Whether workers’ compensation coverage applies often depends on the purpose of the event, the employer’s involvement, and how the injury occurred.
Injuries that happen at holiday parties, training sessions, conferences, team-building activities, and other employer-sponsored gatherings can raise questions about whether workers’ compensation benefits apply.
A Manhattan workers’ compensation lawyer from our firm will review the incident, explain your rights under New York law, and help you pursue the benefits available.
When an Injury at a Company Event May Be Covered
Under New York Workers’ Compensation Law § 10, workers may qualify for benefits after a job-related injury. In some cases, that coverage extends to injuries that happen at employer-sponsored events held away from the workplace.
Company events can happen almost anywhere, from restaurants and hotels to parks, conference centers, and sports venues. When deciding whether workers’ compensation coverage applies, insurance carriers may look at:
- The employer’s role in organizing or paying for an event.
- Whether attendance was required or encouraged.
- Whether the event served a business purpose.
- What the employee was doing when the injury occurred.
- Whether the activity was connected to the event.
What if Attendance at a Company Event Was Voluntary?
If a person chooses to attend a company-sponsored event on their own, that could lead to questions about who’s responsible.
An employer may say that a worker chose to attend for personal reasons rather than work-related reasons. The worker may point to facts showing that the event was connected to their job. The answer is rarely based on a single fact.
Insurance carriers often review the entire situation before deciding whether to accept or deny a claim. Getting legal guidance from a work-related injury lawyer can help when trying to determine if a claim for benefits coverage is valid.
What Benefits May Be Available Through Workers’ Compensation?
Depending on the circumstances, workers’ compensation benefits may include:
- Medical treatment
- Hospital care
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medications
- Travel expenses related to treatment
- Wage replacement benefits for lost income
- Compensation for permanent impairment in some cases
New York workers’ compensation benefits are generally available regardless of who caused the accident. Workers do not usually have to prove that an employer is at fault.
What Should You Do After an Injury at a Company Event?
The steps you take after getting hurt at a company-held event can affect a future claim. Consider taking the following steps:
Report the Injury
Tell a supervisor or employer about the injury as soon as possible. Under New York Workers’ Compensation Law § 18, injured workers generally have 30 days to inform their employer that a job-related injury occurred.
Seek Medical Care
Medical records often become a key part of a workers’ compensation claim. Prompt treatment creates documentation of the injury and the care received.
Keep Records
Any documents related to the injury may be helpful later. This can include medical bills, health treatment records, photographs of the accident scene, witness contact information, incident reports, and emails or messages about the event.
Can You File a Personal Injury Claim in These Situations?
In some cases, an injury at a company event may lead to more than a workers’ compensation claim. You may also have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against a person or a business that caused the accident.
For example, a worker may attend a company event at a venue, such as a hotel or restaurant, that has a dangerous condition on the property. In that case, the property owner or operator may be responsible.
Our work injury claim lawyer will look at what happened and determine whether someone other than your employer may be liable for your injuries. If so, you may be able to pursue both claims for additional financial recovery.
How Long Do You Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Injured workers have a set time to file for workers’ compensation benefits. In most cases, New York Workers’ Compensation Law § 28 allows two years from the date of the injury to file a claim.
The sooner you begin the process, the easier it may be to gather records and document what happened. If you have questions about deadlines, an attorney can review your situation and explain the next steps.
How Long Do You Have to Sue for Damages?
If you have the right to seek damages from a third party, you generally have three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit under NY CPLR § 214(5). Exceptions can apply, so speaking with an attorney from our firm can help you understand the deadlines that may affect your case.
Get Help From Shulman & Hill After You’ve Been Hurt at a Company Event
If you are seeking answers about coverage for injuries at company events, legal guidance may help you understand your options. Questions involving voluntary attendance, off-site activities, travel, and third-party liability can make these claims more difficult than many workers expect.
Shulman & Hill represents injured New York workers and handles workers’ compensation and personal injury matters when the facts support additional claims. Since 2013, our team has recovered over $1 billion for injured New Yorkers.
With 200–plus years of combined experience, our Manhattan personal injury lawyers handle workers’ compensation claims and related injury cases under one roof. If you were injured at a company-sponsored event, call for a free consultation. There are no upfront fees, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. New York, We Got You.
