An employee took work home for an annual report. The employee injured in an auto accident near home; paperwork found in his briefcase in the car. You should:

• A. Delay and investigate.
• B. Accept as an exception to the coming and going rule.
• C. Deny.
• D. Close the file.

Answer: (B)

The key concept is that the going-to-and-from-work rule has exceptions when the travel is tied to employment. Normally, injuries that happen on the way to or from work aren’t covered, but if the employee is performing work for the employer during that travel, the injury can fall within the course of employment.

In this scenario, the employee took work home to finish an annual report, and the injury occurred near home while paperwork was in the car. That shows the trip was being used to handle employer duties, not a personal errand. The presence of work materials in the briefcase provides evidence of the employment-related activity during travel, which places the incident within the scope of employment.

Therefore, it should be accepted as an exception to the coming-and-going rule, making the injury compensable rather than delaying, denying, or closing the file.