Anthony W. Trappierv.Mark Butler, Commissioner Of Georgia Department Of Labor
Anthony Trappier stopped working as a commercial driver after suffering trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder following a fatal collision that was not his fault. He told his employer that he could no longer drive and discussed alternative work, but the employer later treated him as still employed when he applied for unemployment benefits. The Department of Labor denied benefits, and the superior court affirmed. The Court of Appeals reversed. Reviewing the agency decision rather than the superior court’s judgment, the court held that the record did not support disqualification for voluntarily leaving work without good cause. Trappier had informed the employer of the condition, explained that driving had become impossible after the accident, and sought a workable alternative. The employer offered conflicting accounts about an office position and did not show that Trappier had abandoned employment without justification. The court concluded that he left for good cause and was not barred from receiving unemployment compensation.
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