Court Upholds Denial of Benefits to Worker for Intoxication at Time of Injury

A Texas appellate court upheld a denial of benefits to an injured worker based on a jury’s finding that he was intoxicated at the time of his accident. Case: Balderas v. Zurich American Insurance Co., No. 14-20-00262-CV, 04/28/2022, published. Facts: Rigoverto Balderas was working at a Houston foam plastics facility in December 2015. While in the process of dumping styrene into a grinder, Balderas’ left arm was pulled into the machine, causing serious injuries to the arm, upper left body and face. A blood test performed on Balderas within hours of the accident showed a...