Adrine v Event Staffing Inc., 2009 ACO #200
The Appellate Commission upheld the magistrate’s decision to award wage-loss benefits to an injured arena football player despite his refusal of a reasonable employment offer. The defendant in this case offered the claimant the opportunity to return to a job within his restrictions in order to return to college to obtain a teaching degree in economics. The plaintiff refused the defendant’s offer of reasonable employment and the magistrate determined that the refusal of the defendant’s job offer was acceptable.

Key point: where the decision to refuse reasonable employment is viewed as “a responsible decision,” wage loss benefits are still appropriate.