Ignoring Safety Order Is Not 'Willful Misconduct'

A worker who disregarded his supervisor's instructions on how to descend a cellular-telephone tower did not commit the type of willful misconduct that would allow his employer to deny workers' compensation benefits, the Georgia 3rd Division Court of Appeals ruled. Case: Burdette v. Chandler Telecom, A15A1423, 10/30/2015. Facts: Adrian Burdette was assigned to work on top of a cellular-telephone tower on Nov. 5, 2012, while employed as a technician by Chandler Telecom. The supervisor instructed the six-man crew to climb down the towers that day and not use "controlled descent,&qu...