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The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia may sound like a safe and classy place to work; however, this week a catering worker stabbed a co-worker in the leg after the two allegedly got into an argument while on the job.
Police said that the stabbing occurred in the catering kitchen at about 3:30 a.m. and the two men involved were ages 21 and 36. It is said that the older of the two men stabbed the younger man three times in the leg with a knife before fleeing the scene.
The stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital where he was listed in stable condition as of yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The accused offender turned himself in to police yesterday afternoon and his identity has not been released.
The men are not employed by the National Constitution Center but a company called Brulee Catering, which is “the exclusive culinary service provider” to the center according to its website.
A spokesperson from the catering company told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the incident is being investigated and that the two men are currently not working.
This brings up an interesting workers’ compensation issue: Will the man who was stabbed on the job be eligible for workers’ comp benefits? Workers’ compensation is a state-run fund that pays out workers who were injured while on the job.
However, most of the time, the injury must “arise out of employment.” An example of this is a police officer who is shot while on duty. Therefore, an assault that is personal in nature might not be considered arising out the job duties. This is where the need for an attorney comes in.
The rules and regulations surrounding Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation program can be downright confusing. If you have been injured in any capacity while on the job, you might be eligible for benefits, so talk to an attorney who can help.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Food worker stabbed at Constitution Center,” Stephanie Farr, Sept 26, 2011.