Mohammed Bouayad v. Normandy Insurance Company

Summary

The court held that an employee assaulted by a third party while acting within the course and scope of employment may recover workers’ compensation benefits if the claimant establishes a work-related connection between the injury and the employment. Occupational causation focuses on the employee’s overall job duties and work environment, including increased risks or hazards, rather than requiring the specific task being performed to have caused the assault or requiring proof of a work-related motive. The court directed the lower appellate court to apply that standard in reviewing the evidentiary record.