An Adelaide-based council worker has won a compensation claim on injuries she suffered in 2022 while working from home.
A South Australian council worker who tripped over a pet fence, broke her arm and injured her knee while working from home has won a workers compensation claim.
Lauren Vercoe, a council worker for Adelaide’s City of Charles Sturt, was working from home on September 19, 2022 when she fell over a 60cm high metal fence she erected to keep a puppy she was pet sitting away from her rabbit.
Ms Vercoe’s injury occurred while she was taking an authorised coffee break between 9 and 9:30am after starting work about an hour earlier, according to a ruling handed down from the South Australia Employment Tribunal.
When attempting to step over the fence on her way to the kitchen, Ms Vercoe’s left foot caught the top of the fence and she fell forward, the ruling read.
She stretched out her right arm to stop her from falling, but she dropped to the ground with her full weight bearing down on her right knee, arm, side and shoulder, causing her “extreme pain”.
Ms Vercoe was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital by her husband where she was treated for a fractured arm and her injured knee.
She returned to full work duties six weeks after the injury.
The council worker put in an initial compensation claim against Local Government Association Worker Compensation Scheme, but it was rejected October 2022 as her employment was not deemed a significant factor in her injuries.
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Source: Sky News
