Traffic Accident Death Due to Drunk Driving After Company Dinner... Court Rules "Work-Related Injury"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A court ruling has determined that a worker who died in an accident while driving to work the day after a company dinner, still under the influence of alcohol, should be considered a work-related injury.

According to the legal community on the 23rd, the Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 7 (Presiding Judge Kim Gukhyun, Chief Judge) ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the deceased worker A’s father against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, seeking the cancellation of the denial of survivor benefits and funeral expenses. The court stated, "It is difficult to see a break in the causal relationship between the deceased’s work and death, so it is reasonable to regard it as a work-related injury."

A, who worked as a resort cook, drank with his superior until 10:50 p.m. last June and died in an accident the next day while driving to work, hitting a traffic light and street trees consecutively. At the time of the accident, A’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.077%, and the vehicle speed was investigated to be 151 km/h.

Previously, the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service decided not to pay survivor benefits and funeral expenses, stating that A’s death was not a work-related injury due to drunk driving and speeding. However, the court ruled, "It cannot be concluded that the act constitutes a 'criminal act' solely because it involves a legal violation for which criminal responsibility must be borne," and "the relationship between the violation and work must be considered."

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