Wait v. Travelers Indemnity Co. Of Illinois

240 S.W.3d 220 (Tenn. 2007)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Wait (P), worked for the American Cancer Society. Because of a lack of workspace, ACS allowed P to work from her home. P converted a spare bedroom of her home into an office, and the ACS furnished the necessary office equipment, including a printer, a facsimile machine, a dedicated business telephone line, and a budget to purchase office supplies. P's supervisor and co-workers attended meetings at the office in her house. During working hours, P locked the outside doors of her home and activated an alarm system for her protection. One day, her neighbor, Nathaniel Sawyers, brutally assaulted and severely injured P. P had briefly met Sawyers on prior occasions. Sawyers knocked on her door. P answered and invited Sawyers into the house, and he stayed for a short time and then left. A moment later, Sawyers returned, telling P that he had left his keys in her kitchen. When the plaintiff turned away from the door, Sawyers followed her inside and brutally assaulted P without provocation or explanation, beating the plaintiff until she lost consciousness. P suffered severe injuries, including head trauma, a severed ear, several broken bones, stab wounds, strangulation injuries, and permanent nerve damage to the left side of her body. P sought workers' compensation benefits from Travelers Indemnity (D). D denied that the injuries arose out of or occurred in the course of P's employment. D filed a motion for summary judgment, which the chancery court granted. It was granted. P appealed.