Synopsis of Rule of Law. For an injury to be compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act, it must both “arise out of†and occur “in the course of†employment. There is no additional requirement that the injury arise out of “unusual activityâ€.
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Consequently, what must be unexpected, unintended, or unusual is the resulting injury and not the activity out of which the injury arises.
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Issue. Whether an accidental injury, arising out of and in the course of employment, must also arise out of “unusual activity†for there to be Workers’ Compensation coverage.
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Held. No. The line of cases from the Maryland Supreme Court requiring that an accidental personal injury arise out of “unusual activity†for there to be coverage obviously adds a requirement not contained in the Workers’ Compensation statutory language. The Workers’ Compensation statute requires only an “accidental injury†that “arises out of†and occurs “in the course of†employment. No other requirements should be added. Accordingly, the court determined that the plaintiff’s injury in this case met the statutory requirements and reversed the judgment of the lower courts, directing that the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Commission allowing benefits be affirmed.
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Discussion. Some courts have held that unusual exertion or some kind of external or sudden event is required for various internal injuries such as heart attacks, strokes, hernias and general backache. Ordinary every-day work, without unusual exertion, might contribute to a heart attack, but to determine whether work was a significant cause, the factfinder must also consider the causal effect of every-day work activities in relation to the claimant’s other, non-occupational factors. These may include age, weight, diet, pre-existing conditions, genetic pre-dispositions, or use of drugs and alcohol.