Court Blocks Attacked Dunkin' Worker's Lawsuit Against Employer

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that a Dunkin’ Donuts worker who was assaulted and stabbed on the job cannot sue her employer separately.
The court said that workers’ compensation is the only way she can seek payment for her injuries.
The worker subsequently sued the franchise owner, Peachstate Concessionaires, Inc., alleging negligent security and premises liability.
The court ruled that the attack happened purely because of the worker’s job, so workers’ compensation is her only option.

The Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia upheld a decision that denied a Toyota assembly line worker’s appeal.
They rejected her attempt to add more serious wrist and elbow issues as secondary injuries to her original work claim.
Both the Appeals Court and the Board of Review concluded that the medical records did not reliably link these new conditions to her original occupational strain.
The case highlights the importance of medical documentation for expanding a workers’ compensation claim beyond the initial accepted injury.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently upheld the denial of temporary-total-disability benefits to an injured worker.
The court determined that the employee, George Papageorgiou, had refused a light-duty position offered by his employer.
This position was confirmed to be within his physical capabilities by his own treating physician.
The ruling established that because suitable employment was available and refused, Papageorgiou was not entitled to the compensation.