Lifeguard Injuring Pedestrian While Driving May Be Source Of Liability For Shore Town

On September 13, 2013, a federal judge ruled that a life guard was officially on duty when she struck a pedestrian while driving her motor vehicle between the Sea Isle City beaches that she patrolled.  As a result, the city may be held responsible for damages caused by the lifeguard while she was off the beach.  In making this ruling, the judge explained that, when employees are required to work at different locations during the workday, the time spent traveling from worksite to worksite is "fairly and reasonably incidental" to the employment.  Thus, employers may be responsible for injuries caused by their employees while offsite or away from the employer's premises if the employee's activities at the time of the accident are incidental to their job duties.