The Illinois Appellate Court recently affirmed a denial of benefits for an employee who was injured on his employer’s premises. In Daniel Rodriguez v. IWCC, 2026 IL (1st) 250619WC-U, the employee clocked out for the day and was heading to the employee parking lot to go home. Instead of using the concrete sidewalk provided by the employer to reach the employee parking lot, the employee used a shortcut through an unpaved area on the employer’s premises to reach the parking lot.
The court applied existing case law and found the injuries did not arise out of employment. The court reasoned that the employee voluntarily exposed himself to a danger for his own convenience and that there was no benefit to the employer. Therefore, the injury did not arise out of his employment.
For an injury to be compensable, it must have some connection to the employment. If you have questions regarding this case or another workers’ compensation question, please contact Thomas Mamer LLP. Our Champaign-based workers’ compensation attorneys are available to answer your questions about the Illinois workers’ compensation system. Contact one of the attorneys below for a consultation.
