Utah: Employee Commuting May Be Within "Course and Scope" of Employment
Last week the Utah Supreme Court ruled that an employee's commute may in some cases be within the course and scope of his or her employment, such that an employer may be held liable for the employee's negligence during the commute.
In Newman v. White Water Whirlpool, the defendant employed Bradley Sundquist as an installer of marble countertops and tile. In his job, Sundquist would drive White Water's materials and equipment to jobsites in his own truck and trailer. One morning, on his way to White Water's offices, Sundquist's truck collided with a car driven by plaintiff Newman, injuring him severely. Newman sued both Sundquist and White Water, alleging that Sundquist was acting in the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident, thus making White Water jointly liable for his injuries. The trial court dismissed the lawsuit on the basis that Sundquist was merely commuting, and therefore not acting in the course and scope of his employment.
The Utah Supreme Court disagreed, holding that a jury could find that Sundquist was acting in the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident. Why? Because Sundquist's job required him to drive his truck carrying the employer's equipment and materials, and then returning unused materials to White Water, reasonable minds could conclude that he was not merely commuting but was in fact returning materials to his employer. If so, that would mean Sundquist was working at the time of the accident and White Water is liable for his negligence.
Utah employers should pay close attention to this ruling. Employees who merely commute to and from work without performing any duties during the commute are not acting in the course and scope of their employment and employers will not be liable for any accidents that they might cause. Employers may, however, be liable for the negligent acts of employees who are driving as part of their job duties. If you have an employee whose "commute" includes occasional job duties (such as ferrying equipment and supplies, talking on a cell phone, reviewing documents, etc.), you should realize that their negligence might be imputed on your company and take any appropriate steps to ensure that they are driving as safely as possible.
Driving Not a "Major Life Activity" Under ADA
Is driving a car a major life activity under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? No, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals recently concluded, joining two other federal circuit courts that have held that just because a person cannot drive does not mean that person meets the legal definition of "disabled." Kellogg v. Energy Safety Services, Inc.
Kellogg, who has epilepsy, sued her employer alleging disability discrimination. Kellogg asserted that because she is not allowed to drive due to the risk of seizure, she is substantially limited in the major life activity of "driving." After Kellogg prevailed on her claim at a jury trial, The Tenth Circuit reversed. (The Tenth Circuit covers Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.)
The court held that driving is merely a "means to an end," and not a major life activity in and of itself. For some plaintiffs, an inability to drive may prevent them from engaging in other major life activities (such as working), but because Kellogg presented no evidence that she was substantially impaired in any activity except driving, she failed to prove she was "disabled." The Tenth Circuit thus joins both the Second and Eleventh Circuits in holding that driving is not a major life activity.
Don't expect Kellogg to set precedent for long: this case almost certainly would have been decided differently under the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), which goes into effect January 1, 2009. Under the much broader definition of "disability" under the ADAAA, Kellogg's epilepsy alone almost certainly would have qualified her for the protections of the ADA. For more on the ADAAA, check out the World of Work's coverage, here.
California Bans Texting While Driving
Add "texting" to the list of things you may not do in California while driving. As previously reported in the World of Work, on July 1 this year, California banned talking on a cell phone while driving (although talking on a hands-free device is still okay). However, the California legislature forgot to add texting to that ban.
Senate Bill 28, signed by the Governator on September 24, 2008, fixed the loophole. It reads: “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication.” The bill took effect immediately.
Employers in all states should consider amending their employee handbooks to discourage texting, cell phone use, computer use, or other distracting habits while employees drive on company business. In the event of an accident during work time, an employer risks significant liability if it is found the accident was caused by a distracted employee. If you don't believe the World of Work, perhaps you will believe Katie Couric:
Hang Up and Drive! Washington and California Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving
Last night I was riding home and was almost run off the street by a woman reading a novel while driving, when I remembered: Effective July 1, 2008, new laws in California and Washington prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Drivers may, however, use a cell phone if the communication is made using hands-free device such as a bluetooth headset or wired headset. Earlier this year, another Washington law went into effect banning text messaging while driving. In Washington, both the cell phone and the text messaging laws are "secondary enforcement " laws, meaning that offenders will only receive a ticket if pulled over for another traffic violation such as speeding or running a stop sign. California law enforcement, however, is authorized to ticket drivers only for cell phone use. As far as I know, Oregon does not yet prohibit reading while driving (but it should!)
Want more information? The California DMV has a great Q&A site on its new law. Don't live in Washington or California but want to know what the law is in your state? Check out this handy chart of state cell phone laws from the Governor's Highway Safety Association.
Employers should alert their employees who may drive in California or Washington as part of their job duties. And employers in all states might consider implementing a cell phone policy that restricts the use of cell phones while driving. Recent years have seen a large upswing in lawsuits against employers who supply their employees with cell phones, if the employee is then in an accident while using the phone.
