Cookie-Crumbled Tooth Merits Worker's Compensation

February 2, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A salesman who chipped a tooth on a cookie while visiting a customer is entitled to compensation for his dental work after a court ruled it a work-related injury.

The Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of the claim by Calle Montell, 50, for state compensation, saying the injury was work-related because it occurred while he was on the job, according to Reuters.

The ruling brought to conclusion a legal battle that began on October 31, 2002, when Montell bit into a cookie offered by a customer – and cracked his tooth on a cherry pit. Montell sells ceramic stoves.

The local social insurance office denied him state compensation for the $570 it cost to repair the damage, rejecting his claim that the injury was work-related. Two courts dealt with the case before the Supreme Administrative Court issued its ruling, which cannot be appealed.

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