Worker's comp rejected for coffee punch

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CANBERRA, Australia, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- An Australian tribunal threw out a worker's compensation claim from a city worker who was punched by a colleague over a cup of coffee.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal threw out the claim by Michael Ralser, a worker at Canberra's Australian Taxation Office who was punched in the arm in December 2009 by colleague Dieter Tietz during an argument about the ownership of a cup of coffee at a Civic cafe, The Canberra Times reported Wednesday.

The tribunal said Ralser did not respond to the punch and the conversation resumed at the cafe, with the workers eventually leaving in a group.

However, the tribunal ruled Ralser, who filed an appeal with the tribunal after his claim was rejected by worker's compensation body Comcare, is eligible for worker's compensation due to a psychological condition he suffered in March 2010 that arose from his perception of being bullied.

The case was sent back to Comcare to determine the amount of compensation.