Your boss asks you to swing by Office Depot for printer paper. Or grab lunch for the client meeting. Or drop that package at FedEx. You're on your way back when some guy runs a red light and T-bones you.
First thought: "Am I okay?"
Second thought: "Wait - does workers' comp cover this? I wasn't technically 'at work.'"
Good news: in Pennsylvania, you're almost certainly covered. Here's how it works.
The "Special Mission" Rule
Pennsylvania workers' comp law has something called the "special mission" or "special errand" doctrine. The basic idea: if your employer sends you somewhere to do something for work, you're covered the entire time - from the moment you leave until you get back.
This is a big exception to the normal rule that your commute isn't covered. When you're on a special mission, even the driving counts as work.
The Legal Standard: An employee is on a "special mission" when directed by the employer to perform a task that takes them away from the normal workplace or requires travel as a fundamental part of the assignment. The entire journey - including travel time - is considered within the course of employment.
What Counts as a Work Errand?
Pretty much anything your employer asks you to do that involves leaving the workplace:
- Supply runs - picking up office supplies, equipment, materials
- Bank deposits - dropping off the day's cash or checks
- Mail/shipping - post office, FedEx, UPS runs
- Client deliveries - dropping off documents, samples, products
- Food pickup - getting lunch for a meeting, coffee for the office
- Equipment repair - taking something to get fixed
- Any task your boss assigns that requires you to travel
It doesn't matter if the errand only takes 10 minutes. It doesn't matter if it seems trivial. If your employer directed you to do it and it required travel, you're on a special mission.
Real Scenarios I've Handled
The Lunch Run
Secretary was asked to pick up sandwich platters for a noon meeting. Got rear-ended in the Wawa parking lot. Workers' comp covered it - she was on a special mission for her employer, even though it involved food.
The Bank Deposit
Restaurant manager making the daily deposit got hit by a drunk driver at 10pm. Covered. Even though it was after his "shift," he was performing a work task his employer required.
The Supply Run
Construction worker sent to Home Depot for materials crashed on Route 30. Covered. Classic special mission - employer needed supplies, sent employee to get them.
The Detour
Employee sent to drop off documents decided to stop at the gym on the way back. Got hit leaving the gym. This one's tricky - the insurer argued he had "abandoned" the mission. We had to fight it.
The Detour Problem
Here's where things get complicated. What if you add a personal stop to your work errand?
Pennsylvania law distinguishes between:
- Minor deviations - stopping for gas, grabbing a coffee, using the bathroom. These don't break your coverage.
- Major departures - going significantly out of your way for personal reasons. This can break coverage until you "return" to the work mission.
Real Example: Employee was sent to deliver documents across town. On the way back, she drove 15 minutes in the opposite direction to pick up her dry cleaning. Got hit in the dry cleaner's parking lot. The insurer denied the claim, arguing she had "departed" from her mission. We eventually got it covered, but it took a fight.
The safest approach: do your work errand and come straight back. But if you do make a personal stop, know that coverage may be contested.
What If Your Boss Didn't Explicitly Ask?
Sometimes the lines get blurry. What if:
- You regularly make supply runs without being asked each time?
- It's an "understood" part of your job?
- Your boss implied you should go but didn't directly order it?
These can still qualify as special missions. The key is whether the errand was for your employer's benefit and whether they knew about or would have approved it. I've won cases where the "assignment" was pretty informal.
Not Sure If Your Errand Qualifies?
The details matter. Tell me what happened and I'll give you a straight answer.
Call (215) 206-9068You Might Have Two Claims
Here's something a lot of people miss: if someone else caused your accident while you were on a work errand, you probably have two separate claims.
Workers' Compensation: Covers your medical bills and a portion of lost wages. Doesn't matter who was at fault.
Third-Party Personal Injury Claim: A lawsuit against the driver who hit you. This can recover pain and suffering, full lost wages, and other damages workers' comp doesn't cover.
These aren't either/or - you can pursue both. Workers' comp pays right away while the personal injury case works through the system. I help my clients coordinate both to maximize total recovery.
What to Do After an Errand Accident
- Get medical attention - Your health comes first
- Report to your employer immediately - Tell them you were on a work errand when it happened
- Document the errand - Who asked you to go? What were you picking up/dropping off? Save any texts, emails, or receipts
- Get the other driver's info - Insurance, license, contact info
- Take photos - The scene, damage, your injuries
- Don't give recorded statements - Not to your employer's insurance, not to the other driver's insurance
- Call a lawyer - These cases have nuances that matter
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in most cases. Pennsylvania's "special mission" rule covers employees who are sent on a specific task by their employer. If your boss asks you to run any work-related errand and you get in an accident, you're typically covered.
A special mission is any task your employer directs you to do that takes you away from your normal work location - picking up supplies, making bank deposits, delivering documents, getting food for a work meeting, or any errand your boss assigns.
Minor detours (stopping for gas, grabbing coffee) don't break coverage. But significant personal detours can create issues. If you went way out of your way and the accident happened during that detour, coverage may be contested.
Yes! You can file workers' comp AND sue the other driver. Workers' comp covers immediate needs while the lawsuit can recover pain and suffering and full damages that workers' comp doesn't provide.
Crashed on a Work Errand?
I've handled hundreds of these cases. Free consultation - let's talk about what happened.
(215) 206-9068