After the 3rd Company Dinner, Escorting Drunken Boss and Dying While Jaywalking... Court Rules "Work-Related Injury"

Ulsan District Court Rules Company Covers Costs for All Company Dinners and Assists Supervisors' Return Home as Work Extension

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Mr. A, after finishing the company dinner, took his intoxicated superior to his lodging and then, while also drunk, was hit by a car and died while jaywalking. A ruling has been made recognizing the incident as a work-related accident, as Mr. A died after attending up to the third round of company dinners and jaywalking.

The Ulsan District Court (1st Administrative Division, Presiding Judge Jeong Jae-woo) announced on the 3rd that it ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the lawsuit filed by Mr. A’s bereaved family against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, seeking cancellation of the denial of survivor’s benefits and funeral expenses.

According to the Ulsan District Court, Mr. A died in a traffic accident while jaywalking on a road in Geoje City, Gyeongnam Province, on his way home intoxicated after attending a welcome dinner for employees who had transferred to the department in March 2019.

The bereaved family claimed that the employer’s company dinners, held as an extension of work, involved excessive drinking which led to the accident, and thus the incident qualifies as a work-related accident, requesting survivor’s benefits and funeral expenses from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service.

The Service refused to pay funeral expenses, arguing that the second and third rounds of dinners could not be considered company dinners under the employer’s control or management.

However, the court ruled in favor of Mr. A’s family, noting that the company covered the costs of all three rounds of dinners and that Mr. A took his superior to the lodging, establishing a connection to work.

While it could be argued that dinners after the first round were private gatherings among employees and not under the employer’s control or management, the court explained that since receipts were submitted and expenses reimbursed, these were recognized as official company dinners.

The court also stated, “Mr. A’s act of taking the main person responsible for the dinner to the lodging appears to have been an intention to properly conclude the official dinner as a co-responsible person,” and ruled, “This is a continuation of work performance or at least related to work performance, so it should be regarded as a work-related accident.”

Regarding the jaywalking, the court viewed that Mr. A’s impaired attention due to excessive drinking at the dinner was the cause, and there were no special circumstances such as a habitual tendency to jaywalk.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.