Employee injured during morning commute entitled to comp

A pest control employee injured in an accident while driving a company vehicle to his employer’s shop is entitled to workers compensation benefits even though he was just starting out his shift and commuting from his residence, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The state high court, in affirming an appellate court decision, ruled that Henry Keim was in the course of his employment for Above All Termite & Pest Control under the “authorized vehicle rule” at the time of the accident. A workers comp judge had initially dismissed the claim.