Court Rejects Workers’ Comp Benefit for Louisiana Officer’s Widow

The widow of a former Maringouin, La., police chief is not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits because he was not on duty when he was killed by a drunken driver in West Baton Rouge Parish, a court has ruled.

A panel of the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal reversed a ruling that Shirley Lockman was entitled to benefits stemming from the 2004 accident in which Stanley Lockman was killed.

The panel said Lockman was on a personal errand outside of his jurisdiction when he was killed.

Shirley Lockman filed for workers’ compensation benefits, including death benefits and funeral expenses, claiming her husband was on call 24 hours a day as police chief and was driving the vehicle provided by the town.

Information from: The Advocate, www.theadvocate.com