Print PDF version
Business Protection Bulletin
Construction Insurance Bulletin
Employee Matters Bulletin
Employment Resources Bulletin
Life and Health Bulletin
Personal Protection Bulletin
Risk Management Bulletin
Workplace Safety Bulletin
Please contact me about a quick, no-obligation insurance review.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Captcha AntiSpam Security

Visual verification
Please type in the code shown in the image.
CAPTCHAs are used to prevent automated software from performing actions which degrade the quality of service of a given system, whether due to abuse or resource expenditure.
Submit
Logo
783 Rio Del Mar Blvd, Suite 7, Aptos, CA, 95003
Workplace Safety Bulletin
831-661-5697 Website

Workers' Compensation For Work-Related Auto Accidents

Bookmark and Share Your company may require employees to drive for work. What happens, though, if they’re injured in a vehicle accident? Workers’ Compensation may provide benefits and allow you to protect your employees and your company.

Define Work-Related Driving Jobs

Workers’ Compensation benefits vary by state. However, most states only provide benefits for employees who suffer an injury while performing work-related duties.

In most cases, your employees are covered by Workers’ Compensation if they drive a company car or their personal vehicle for these work purposes.

  • Make deliveries or run errands.
  • Transport another employee.
  • Drive to or from a work site.
  • Travel for work.
  • Perform sales duties and don’t have a fixed office.
  • Receive travel time pay as part of their work benefits.
Employees cannot file a claim for car accidents that occur during their daily commute or during an unpaid lunch break. Exceptions include if employees run an errand for their boss or purchase company supplies during their commute.

Review Personal Injury Claims

Employees who suffer an auto accident that’s caused by another driver may file a personal injury claim. This claim could be filed through the other driver’s auto insurance policy or via a personal injury lawsuit.

Claims filed through insurance will be completed at the time of the accident. Personal injury lawsuits can be filed up to five years later depending on your state’s laws.

If your injured employees decide to file a personal injury claim, they could receive medical bill compensation and other financial benefits, including pain and suffering damages. Funds from a personal injury claim could also cover vehicle damages.

How to File Workers’ Compensation for Auto Accidents

Employees who are injured in auto accidents may report the injury immediately and file a Workers’ Compensation claim. These benefits usually cover qualified medical bills and lost wages as the employee recovers.

Workers’ Compensation benefits can be paid no matter who was at fault for the accident. Covered employees must be performing work-related duties and cannot be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or performing a crime at the time of the injury.   

In addition to Workers’ Compensation, injured employees can file a third-party personal injury claim. Your company could place a lien against the Workers’ Compensation benefits, though, and require employees to reimburse the company if they receive money from a personal injury claim settlement.

Employees who are injured in an auto accident while they perform work duties could file a Workers’ Compensation claim. Review your company’s specific policy to ensure it provides this important coverage.
Scurich Insurance Services 831-661-5697 Website
 

Paying for Rule Breakers

Bookmark and Share 1

If your workers take a "rules are for fools" attitude when it comes to workplace safety, and supervisors don't enforce these standards, you could end up paying through the nose for their indifference.


Consider this story, based on a real court case:

    Joe was a wrapper at ABC Furniture. One afternoon, he worked overtime to help his supervisor, Mario, build an enclosed office within the company warehouse. Late that afternoon, Mario told him to pick up a load of sheetrock, using a forklift - even though Joe wasn't trained or certified to use it. The result: he overloaded the forklift, which turned over and crushed his leg, an injury that required amputation. When Joe applied for Workers Compensation, ABC fought the claim, arguing that because he violated company safety policy by operating a forklift without authorization or training, he was injured while acting "outside the scope of his employment."


    However, a state superior court, disagreed, ruling that Joe could collect benefits - even though he had violated company safety rules and wasn't performing his usual job. In this case, both he and his supervisor, Mario, clearly had no commitment to a policy that would have prevented the accident.

All too often, employees sidestep safety rules, while their supervisors turn a blind eye to this reckless behavior. Many of these cases involve misuse of equipment and forklifts, usually by younger, risk-taking workers.


The bottom line: If employees don't know and/or follow safety rules, and supervisors don't enforce them, resulting in an accident - especially one that involves a serious injury - your business will suffer such unpleasant consequences as higher Workers Comp rates, lower productivity, and declining workplace morale.

Scurich Insurance Services 831-661-5697 Website
Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.