Athlete's Acceptance of Job during Phone Call Amounted to Contract for Hire

An athlete's verbal agreement to play professional football for a team in Europe during a phone call to his Southern California home was enough to give the state of California jurisdiction over his claim for benefits based on the cumulative trauma injuries he suffered during the course of his career, a Workers' Compensation Appeals Board panel ruled. The WCAB found that Mazio Royster had effectively formed a contract for hire in California when he accepted the offer by the head coach of the Scottish Claymores to join the team for the 1997-1998 season. The WCAB said it didn't matt...