Fell in the home office on the way to the toilet?
When the accident insurance pays - and when not
Created: 03/10/2022, 15:55
By: Juliane Gutmann
The company accident insurance does not always cover an accident in the home office.
© Eugenio Marongiu/Imago
Serious accidents can also occur in the home.
But who pays if you break your ankle or something worse happens while working from home?
During the corona pandemic, many employees moved their office home.
The advantages are obvious: Less distraction when you have the study to yourself and the elimination of the commute.
But just like in the office and on the way there, accidents can also happen in the home office*.
And not too scarce: As the insurance company Hannoversche informs,
home is the most dangerous place in the world
.
Around 2.8 million people would have an accident in their own home every year, around 8,000 people die every year after household accidents, it is said.
For comparison: In road traffic there are not even half as many people.
One reason: In your own four walls you are often less attentive than when you are on the road.
However, objects lying around, such as toys, can become a dangerous tripping hazard.
Falling down stairs can also lead to broken bones
.
This is what happened to a worker who fell on the spiral staircase on his way to work and fractured his thoracic vertebra.
The case went to court – and sparked an important
debate
.
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Going to the toilet is one of the ways that are insured in the home office
In 2018 there was a fall down the stairs, which took an employee to court.
The reason: the trade association responsible for him refused to pay, even though the accident happened on the way to work.
Her argument was that insurance coverage begins in the office.
But the Supreme Federal Social Court disagreed and classified the accident as an accident at work because the plaintiff was on the direct way to work, informs the wage tax assistance Bavaria.
Climbing the stairs served to start work and, as a performance in the employer's interest, was an
insured route
, it is said.
The statutory accident insurance must therefore pay.
In the case of home office, the routes within a household are the same as the operational routes if they are directly related to work.
With the change in the law, they have now been expressly insured since June 2021
, according to the Bavarian wage tax aid.
This was stipulated in Section 8 of the Social Security Code.
Distances in the home office that are necessary for starting work are insured accordingly.
Also insured are:
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the way to the kitchen
going to the toilet and
the distances that are incurred in the context of childcare, such as the trip to the daycare center.
On the other hand, all routes that have private reasons are not covered by company insurance.
This includes, for example, going to the front door because the postman is bringing a package.
What to do after an accident at work
If an accident occurs, it must be reported to the employer immediately.
After evaluating the case, the statutory accident insurance decides whether an industrial accident has occurred.
If so, the statutory accident insurance must pay for the consequences,
such as treatment costs or pension payments
.
(jg) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
