The modern economy requires a lot of flexibility from companies. They may need to send service technicians out to uphold a warranty with next to no advance warning or may need to pick up supplies from retail shops in the middle of a shift. Therefore, many people have to drive at least occasionally as part of their job.
Plenty of people recognize that delivery drivers and commercial truckers are at greater risk for a crash at work than the average person because they spend their entire shift at the wheel. What people fail to realize is that anyone who drives as part of their job, from social workers performing home visits to managers running to the bank for change is that this kind of travel represents an increased risk of injury and death while working, as car crashes are a top cause of worker fatalities and severe injury across all industries.
Who pays after a crash on the clock?
Most workers are protected by workers’ compensation coverage if they are on the clock when they get hurt. A workers’ compensation claim can help cover someone’s medical costs fully so that they don’t have any out-of-pocket expenses. They can also receive a portion of their lost wages. However, the state only replaces a certain percentage of someone’s lost income, and even that percentage is subject to a strict maximum benefit limit. Even if a driver was technically the one at fault for a crash, workers’ compensation coverage will typically protect them.
If they are not the one at fault, then they may have other options for covering their collision-related expenses. The liability coverage of the other driver can help pay for any expenses that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover, including the remainder of someone’s wages. Workers’ compensation typically won’t cover property damage either, which will make an insurance claim worthwhile. Many people don’t carry much insurance, and some people don’t have any active coverage at all. Sometimes, workers hurt in a collision while working need to file a lawsuit against the driver at fault for the crash when their insurance coverage isn’t enough given the extent of the damages caused.
Reviewing the situation that led to someone’s injuries and estimating the full financial impact of a car crash will both be important steps to take when an injured employee has to worry about minimizing their financial losses related to a work injury.
