Transportation Insurance Co., et al. v. Clayton B. Rees

This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. This case presents the question of whether an employee's possession or business use of a portable telephone converts an otherwise noncompensable injury into a compensable one. We conclude that it does not and affirm the trial court's denial of benefits. The employee, Clayton Rees, had been employed by Rock Harbor Marina in Nashville for only four weeks when he was injured while driving to work. He was a commission boat salesman. Rock Harbor paid Rees a draw against future commissions, but at the time of the injury, he had yet to sell a boat for Rock Harbor. Rees lived in Tullahoma, about equal distance between Nashville where he worked and Chattanooga where his fianc_ lived. On the morning of March 12, 1994, while commuting to work from Tullahoma to Nashville in his own truck, Rees was injured in a vehicle collision on US 231 just north of Shelbyville. A drunk driver caused the collision. To be covered by workers' compensation, the injury must arise out of and in the course and scope of employment. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-13. An injury sustained en route to or from work is not considered in the course of employment. Lollar v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 767 S.W.2d 143, 144 (Tenn. 1989). There are exceptions to this rule, such as when the employee is on the employer's premises, Id. 15, but none of the exceptions apply here. Rees seeks to avoid this firm and long-standing rule because he had a portable telephone with him on his commute and, according to him, was -2-