No Peeing Off The Dock

Over the years I have heard nightmarish stories of people wanting Workers' Comp Insurance to cover their injuries. I heard of one guy who, while off of work and drinking a brand of beer that his company made, applied for Workers' Comp to pay his bills from a drunk driving accident.

There was a woman who had claimed that since her pregnancy was caused by a coworker she was entitled to Workers' Comp coverage.

But now, in a story that Saturday Night Live could have written, Gary Schwirse tried to get Workers' Comp to cover his injuries at a job site where he was drunk.

From an article by Nigel Daura titled 'Gary Schwirse Won't Get Workers' Comp For Injuries Suffered While Peeing On Dock'; 'Gary Schwirse drank at least nine beers and half-pint of whiskey on Jan. 8, 2006. While standing on a dock, he urinated and fell over a railing. At the hospital, he registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.25 percent.'

I can not comprehend how this man even got through his shift at work that drunk. His job was to collect cones and direct trucks. Can you imagine anyone drunk being in charge of directing traffic flow?

This case got all the way to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. What a colossal waste of money and time.

To paraphrase PT Barnum: “There’s an idiot born every minute”. This case certainly proves Mr Barnum's point.

Randy