What to Do If You Get Injured in a Company Vehicle?
When you have a company vehicle and get injured in an accident, it may not be clear what to do next. First, you should always seek immediate medical attention for your injuries and then notify your employer. From there, you may not know where to turn.
No matter who is at fault, here’s what you need to know about getting injured in a company vehicle.
Who Is Responsible for Your Work-Related Car Accident?
If you are driving a company vehicle while on the clock, you don’t need to worry about whose fault it was in the crash. This is because you will be covered under Indiana’s workers’ compensation plan that your employer will have in place.
Workers’ compensation is not a fault-based system, meaning that even if you caused the accident, you’re still entitled to receive benefits for those work-related injuries. Liability is not a factor in most cases when you get injured in a company vehicle — however, there may be some exceptions.
When Is Liability an Issue When You’re Injured in a Company Vehicle?
Work-related car crashes will be subject to the same liability issues as any other car accident. If someone else was negligent, that party and their insurance company will take care of the damages.
However, even if you were the negligent party, your employer may share some of the blame with a company vehicle. For example, your employer is responsible for having that vehicle sufficiently maintained. If you drive a vehicle that is owned by your employer, your employer may be liable if vehicle malfunction was determined to be a contributing factor in the crash.
They may also be held liable for inadequate employee supervision. These circumstances may complicate things, which is why you should discuss what happened with an Indianapolis car accident attorney to protect your rights.
When is a Car Accident in a Company Vehicle Considered Work-Related?
If you drive a car provided by your company, coverage from workers’ compensation is only related to a work-related task. In other words, you must be doing something related to work when the injury occurs.
Most work-related car crashes happen away from the actual place of employment, which makes it more complicated to determine what falls into this spectrum. Generally speaking, workers’ compensation in Indiana will cover you if you were injured in an accident while running an errand for your employer or supervisor, making deliveries for your company, traveling to a work-sponsored event, driving from one job site to another, or driving another employee for business-related purposes. Those who drive for a living such as truck drivers, taxi drivers, and others who have no fixed office setting are also covered.
Unfortunately, you likely won’t be covered by workers’ comp if you get into an accident in the company car going to or from your job or while driving on your lunch break. There are a few exceptions to these rules, such as if your employer pays for your commute, but if you fall into this gray area, you’ll want to talk to an attorney about what happens next.