Eckis v. Sea World Corp.
Court of Appeal of California
134 Cal. Rptr. 183 (Cal. Ct. App. 1976)
Relevant factsFree
Anne Eckis (plaintiff), hired as a secretary at Sea World (defendant), agreed at her supervisor's request to ride the killer whale Shamu for a publicity photoshoot during her normal work hours, using training and a bikini Sea World provided; Shamu bit her severely during the shoot, and she sued civilly for damages rather than seeking workers' compensation, winning a $75,000 jury verdict. Sea World appealed, arguing her injury was covered exclusively by the Workers' Compensation Act.
IssueFree
Whether, under California's Workers' Compensation Act, an employee's compensation benefits are limited to injuries caused by activities related to the employee's normal work duties.