Ehrlich v. Strawbridge & Clothier

In Ehrlich v. Strawbridge & Clothier, 260 N.J. Super. 89, 615 A.2d 286 (App.Div.1992), certif. denied, 133 N.J. 435, 627 A.2d 1141 (1993) an employee who was injured when she fell on the sidewalk after exiting a metal staircase designated by her employer for access and egress and which led to an exterior sidewalk which petitioner had to traverse to get to the parking lot where her car was parked was entitled to workers' compensation benefits. The Court said: "Although the staircase and the adjacent sidewalk leading from the employee door was not a part of the store premises in a property sense, the employer exercised control over the area in that it 'used' both of them in the conduct of its business, by requiring employees to enter and exit the store by traversing that area." Id. at 92, 615 A.2d 286.