A California tow-truck driver was recently transported to a hospital for emergency care. His co-worker was arrested in connection with the incident and is now facing criminal charges. The driver suffered workplace injuries that were reportedly caused intentionally by the co-worker.
The driver and his colleague were traveling together when an argument erupted between them. In a perfect world, all co-workers would always get along and conflicts on the job would not result in physical altercations. In reality, disagreements between co-workers are fairly common. However, no employee has a right to physically assault another, which appears to be what happened in this case.
The driver says that co-worker attacked him with a screwdriver
The injured man says his co-worker got angry and began stabbing him with a screwdriver while he was driving. He managed to pull to the roadside and exit the vehicle. Police say the co-worker then got behind the wheel and attempted to run over the injured man before driving away.
State law provides recourse for work injuries caused by a co-worker
If a California employee suffers workplace injuries caused by a co-worker during an altercation that had nothing to do with the scope of employment (for instance, two co-workers arguing about an NFL team) the recovering victim may be able to seek restitution in a civil court. The fact that criminal charges may have been filed in a particular case could help a plaintiff substantiate his or her civil claim. In such cases, damages may not only include physical injuries but economic damage or emotional trauma, as well.