Many people believe that they have an understanding of how the worker's compensation system works, but there are actually several nuances that can be quite confusing if a person doesn’t actually work on the inside of this industry. For instance, many people think that car accident injuries and losses would be covered by car insurance policies, but in actuality, there are some cases where worker's compensation insurance will cover these accidents. It’s important for every employee to know these instances so they don’t lose out on due compensation.
Business Injury Versus Non-Business Injury
Many individuals fail to realize just how important it is to know what type of claim they have when injured in an automobile accident. This is because some types of insurance will deny a claim flat out in some cases. Worker's compensation insurance, for instance, will only cover injuries sustained in a vehicular wreck if the accident was related to work in some way.
Auto insurance companies, on the other hand, often deny claims when they find out that a person was using their personal vehicle for business purposes. Each case is going to be different, but the one thing that remains the same is the fact that insurers don't like providing compensation when either they don't have to or when another insurer may be liable.
There are actually several instances though, where a person may have a worker's compensation claim after being involved in an auto accident. Knowing the occurrences when they're covered, and the ones when they're not, will make life much easier after debilitating event. Here are four instances of when compensation is due from your place of work after an auto accident:
1. Running an Errand for Work
Worker's compensation claims are meant to cover injuries sustained at work. When a person is running an errand for their employer, this is considered a form of work. An employee injured in a car crash while running these errands will most likely be able to receive benefits, especially with the help of someone like an MA or NY auto accident attorney.
2. Traveling on Business
Many people believe that they're not covered when traveling for business trips, though this belief is incorrect. A person can consider traveling for business the same as the aforementioned "running an errand for work"; it just so happens that the errand is out-of-town work.
3. Driving to or from Work
Unfortunately, most individuals will not be able to collect worker's compensation benefits if they're injured in a vehicular crash while commuting to or from work. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule. A person who is handling a work errand while driving home, for instance, may be able to receive benefits. This is one of those grey areas that an attorney may be able to help you illuminate.
4. Mandatory Company Events
Driving to and from mandatory company events may be considered working, therefore a crash during this time could be considered in your worker's compensation case. These events could include team meetings or company barbecues; the main factor is that the injured party must have had a reasonable belief that their employment was contingent on attending the event.
Worker's compensation is meant to ensure that employees are taken care of in the event of an accident while on the job. It's not always necessary for a person to sustain their injury on company property to be reimbursed though, and it's important to realize that contacting a worker's compensation lawyer or filing a claim isn't some sort of con to get undeserved money. Many accidents result in hospital bills, lost time from work, and even long term injuries; so any accident involving work, regardless of on-site or in a vehicle, should be taken very seriously.
Saam Banai is a freelance writer and editor, and he has also worked (as safely as possible) for a store that delivers sofas to Boston, Rhode Island, and New York. At the Perecman firm, you can find a NY auto accident attorney that will help you fight for your worker's compensation in the event that you are injured while driving on the job. Their experience and passion from years litigating auto accident cases, including head-on collisions and hit-and-runs, have led them to recover millions for their clients.