In Raleigh, North Carolina, we see a lot of crickets, wasps, bees, lightning bugs, and an occasional cicada. What we don’t have – thank goodness – are scorpions. Those belong far, far away – preferably in other countries or in the Southwest. However, just a few weeks ago, an employee at a grocery store in Raleigh sustained a scorpion sting while working near the bananas in the produce section of the store. Based on the news article, it’s unclear what s/he was doing exactly – perhaps unloading or sorting bananas?

So, would this mean that the stung employee would have a workers’’ compensation claim? Based on the limited details from the news article, the answer is “quite possibly.” The Industrial Commission would apply an “increased risk” test to determine whether the employee’s injury from the insect sting arose out of his or her employment, and whether the employment peculiarly exposed the employee to a risk of being stung by a scorpion sting greater than that of other persons in the community. See Minter v. Osborne, 127 N.C. App. 134, 487 S.E.2d 835 (1997).

The case will likely hinge on coworker testimony and expert testimony (i.e. an entomologist testifying about insect habitats and behaviors). In this particular example, a local entomologist from North Carolina State University stated that “scorpions and spiders get to the state [North Carolina] from tropical areas by hitchhiking on bananas or other imported produce.” So, based on this statement, it’s likely if the employee was unloading bananas from out-of-state, s/he was at an increased risk due to his/her employment of encountering and subsequently being stung by a scorpion than, for example, I am sitting in my office just down the street.

The compensability of the case is going to center on a lot of factors. Insect bite cases involving workers’’ comp issues are highly fact sensitive and quite interesting. Hopefully the injuries are typically minor and heal in a matter of days. However, when there are complications or reactions from an insect bite, it would be wise to consult with an attorney to discuss aspects of the case.