Employee was not acting within scope of his employment when he rear-ended a car driven by Plaintiff. At time of accident, employee had finished his workday at a job site and was returning to company headquarters for a meeting with company owner, about a "personal matter". Court properly found that employee's trip to company was personal, not job-related, and after his work was completed, and thus granted summary judgment for employer in personal injury case. Focus of inquiry about whether employee was acting within scope of employment, during travel outside working hours, is on the travel itself.Only if it is something unique about the travel itself that serves the employer's purpose, other than mere transport of employee to job site, is it considered that travel was within scope of employment.(McBRIDE and COBBS, concurring.)
Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Employment