Hoffner v. North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau

**What happened:** Hoffner, an employee of North Central Construction Company, was injured while traveling to a remote work site. He filed a claim with the North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau seeking benefits for his injuries, arguing that since he was commuting to his job, his injuries should be covered under workers' compensation. **What the court decided:** The North Dakota Supreme Court sided with the Workers Compensation Bureau and denied Hoffner's claim. The court ruled that injuries occurring during a regular commute to work are not covered by workers' compensation, even when traveling to a remote job site. The key factor was that Hoffner's employer neither required him to use a specific form of transportation nor provided transportation to the work site. **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling reinforces the general rule that workers' compensation typically does not cover injuries that happen during normal commutes to and from work. However, there are exceptions - if your employer requires you to use company transportation or mandates a specific travel method, injuries during that travel may be covered. Workers should understand that simply traveling to a remote or unusual work location doesn't automatically make commute-related injuries compensable under workers' compensation laws.