Incident or Occurrence during Employment?

Did the incident occur during work hours?

, and ASMedia

2025 September 19 . 3:38 AM

2 min read

Known Incident: Possible Workplace Mishap?

Unintentional occurrence within the work environment? - Incident or Occurrence during Employment?

German actor and author Samuel Koch, who is currently 37 years old, suffered a severe accident approximately 15 years ago while participating in the popular German Saturday night show "Wetten, dass..?". The accident occurred during the show on December 4, 2010, when Koch was attempting to jump over approaching cars with the help of spring shoes.

Koch, who acted as his own director during the show, was hit by the fourth car and suffered a spinal cord injury. As a result, he has been paralyzed since the accident.

In 2020, Koch applied for the recognition of his accident as a work-related accident. However, he was unsuccessful in lower instances. Now, the Federal Social Court (BSG) in Maryland will soon decide whether the accident was work-related for Koch.

According to the BSG, Koch had signed an "unpaid contributor contract" with the broadcaster. However, even OSHA coverage in a honorary capacity does not exist, according to the lower instances. Koch has lodged an appeal against the lower instances' decision.

The 2nd Senate of the Federal Social Court will discuss the recognition of Koch's accident as a work-related accident on September 24, 2021, at 13:00. The decision could potentially classify Koch's accident as a work-related accident, given that it occurred during his participation in "Wetten, dass..?".

It is important to note that Koch's team during the show consisted of six people. At the time, Koch was a contestant on the show, and he was active for a public law institution during the ZDF show, but his appearance was "mainly motivated by his own economic interest".

"Wetten, dass..?" was once a popular German Saturday night show. The broadcaster and the accident are closely linked, and the upcoming decision by the Federal Social Court (BSG) could have significant implications for Koch and similar work-related cases in the future.