Work-related accidents and telework: the definitive framework (on Spanish Supreme Court Judgment 1950/2026 of 23 April 2026)

Abstract

In its ruling STS 444/2026 of April 23, the Supreme Court addressed for the first time one of the most controversial issues arising from the expansion of teleworking: the classification of the death by heart attack of a worker who was providing her professional services from her home as a work-related accident or a common contingency. Undoubtedly, the ruling has enormous doctrinal significance, not only because it is the Supreme Court’s first pronouncement on the application of the presumption of employment under Article 156.3 of the General Social Security Law to remote work, but also because it definitively overturns the criterion held by the High Court of Justice of Madrid, establishing a precedent destined to become a mandatory reference for future litigation. This study analyzes the background of the case, the grounds for the reasoned decision, and the practical implications of a ruling that definitively establishes the distinction between teleworking and work-related accidents.