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Kathy Stephens, an employee of Maxima Corporation, died in a fatal automobile accident while driving home during her lunch break to retrieve a company questionnaire (P.D.Q.) form. The trial court denied workers' compensation benefits to her minor child, concluding that her death did not occur in the course of her employment. The appeal examined whether the 'special errand rule' exception to the 'going and coming rule' applied, arguing she was on a special assignment at her supervisor's request. The Supreme Court affirmed the denial, finding that the employer did not instruct or require Stephens to go home for the form, making her action a personal decision and thus not within the scope of her employment or the special errand exception.
Stephens ex rel. Stephens v. Maxima Corp. is a workers' compensation case decided in Tennessee Supreme Court. This case addresses legal issues related to compensation claims, benefits, and court rulings.
It is commonly referenced in legal research involving workers' compensation laws in Tennessee Supreme Court.
Full Decision Text1 Pages
Kathy Stephens, an employee of Maxima Corporation, died in a fatal automobile accident while driving home during her lunch break to retrieve a company questionnaire (P.D.Q.) form. The trial court denied workers' compensation benefits to her minor child, concluding that her death did not occur in the course of her employment. The appeal examined whether the 'special errand rule' exception to the 'going and coming rule' applied, arguing she was on a special assignment at her supervisor's request. The Supreme Court affirmed the denial, finding that the employer did not instruct or require Stephens to go home for the form, making her action a personal decision and thus not within the scope of her employment or the special errand exception.
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