Many different professionals either occasionally operate motor vehicles for work or perform job functions in close proximity to traffic. They are then vulnerable to motor vehicle collisions while working.
According to federal workplace injury statistics, car crashes while on the clock are one of the most common causes of catastrophic worker injuries and employee deaths while on the clock. Professionals who drive daily while working or at least occasionally to perform job tasks could end up hurt in a crash that leaves them unable to work and facing major medical expenses.
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation can provide medical coverage and disability pay benefits to eligible employees. When can workers’ compensation help with collision costs?
If the crash occurred during the workday
Quite a few professionals get hurt on their way to work at the beginning of a shift or during their commute home after a long day. While a commute is part of an employee’s workday in some ways, in a legal sense, the commute occurs while they are not on the job. Collisions that occur before a worker clocks in for the day or after they end their shift for the afternoon are generally not eligible for workers’ compensation coverage.
However, many professionals drive at least occasionally to perform job functions. Plumbers might be on the clock while driving to individual clients’ homes, for example. Regardless of whether a worker routinely drives to fulfill job responsibilities or only drives occasionally, workers’ compensation may apply after an on-the-clock crash.
Additionally, employees have access to coverage regardless of whether they are in their own vehicles or a fleet vehicle owned and maintained by their employer. Unlike standard car insurance, workers’ compensation provides no-fault coverage. Even in cases where the professional involved in the crash was technically at fault for the collision, workers’ compensation could still help pay for their medical expenses and lost income.
Reporting a collision to employers is of the utmost importance for those hoping to access workers’ compensation benefits after a crash that occurs while they on the clock or are otherwise engaged in work-related activity. An attorney can often assist those in need of workers’ compensation benefits, especially in cases where concerns about fault and other complicating factors could lead to a relatively complex claim.