Legal Definitions - special-errand doctrine

The special-errand doctrine is a principle in workers' compensation law that states an employee will be covered for injuries that occur while they are on a special duty or journey for their employer away from the workplace. This is an exception to the general rule that an employee is not covered for injuries that occur away from work.

• An employee is sent by their employer to pick up supplies from a store. While driving to the store, they are involved in a car accident and sustain injuries. Under the special-errand doctrine, the employee would be covered by workers' compensation for their injuries.
• On the other hand, if an employee is injured while commuting to or from work, they would not be covered by workers' compensation under the going-and-coming rule. This is because the commute is generally considered outside the scope of employment.

These examples illustrate how the special-errand doctrine is an exception to the going-and-coming rule. If an employee is on a special duty or journey for their employer, they are considered to be within the scope of employment and therefore covered by workers' compensation for any injuries that occur.