Some professionals spend a significant amount of time in a vehicle every day. Delivery specialists, taxi drivers and countless others have to travel and motor vehicle to perform their jobs. Plenty of other professionals occasionally drive for work.
Many professionals may be at risk of having an on-the-clock crash occur. Collisions can produce property damage losses and injuries that force workers to take time away from their careers. In fact, motor vehicle collisions at work are one of the leading causes of significant employee injuries and worker fatalities.
Crashes that occur while on the clock may lead to lost wages and medical expenses. What options do professionals hurt in car crashes have for covering their losses?
Workers’ compensation can help
People often think of workers’ compensation as a benefit available to those hurt because of their employers. However, the program actually provides no-fault coverage to those injured in the course of their employment. It does not matter what the underlying cause of the worker’s injury is. They may be eligible for benefits even if they are the party at fault for the crash.
They also do not need to be a company vehicle to be eligible for benefits. What matters is that the incident that hurt them occurred while they were on the clock. Workers’ compensation benefits can cover a portion of an employee’s lost income. It can also pay for the medical care required after a car crash.
Third-party claims may be possible
While workers’ compensation is very useful, it does have its limits. For example, workers can not receive full wage replacement. Additionally, workers’ compensation does not cover property damage losses. Employees hurt in car crashes caused by other people may be able to pursue a third-party claim against the driver at fault for the incident in addition to workers’ compensation benefits.
For an employee injured in an on-the-clock collision, evaluating the circumstances of the collision and the consequences that it has caused can help the employee pursue appropriate compensation for losses. A combination of workers’ compensation benefits and a third-party claim may be the best option available after an on-the-clock car wreck. Workers may be eligible for workers’ compensation, liability car insurance coverage or compensation awarded through a personal injury lawsuit.