Most of the time, workers’ compensation takes care of people who get hurt on the job. As long as you are a direct employee and develop a medical condition or injury while working, workers’ compensation likely covers you.
You can get short-term and long-term disability benefits if you can’t work, and full medical coverage. However, while the medical coverage is likely excellent, the disability benefits will leave a gap between what you usually earn and what you receive through workers’ compensation. It can be hard to adjust to reduced income while also dealing with a serious medical issue.
Although you likely can’t hold your employer accountable for those additional losses, there could be a third party responsible. One situation is arguably the most common cause of third-party claims related to workplace injuries.
Many third-party claims happen away from your workplace
We live in an interconnected, mobile world, and many people have some transportation responsibilities included in their job even if they don’t drive for a living.
For example, a salesperson might have to make calls out to a client’s facility to review their needs or negotiate a contract. Someone who works in human resources might need to go to meet with recruits at a staffing agency, while a chef’s assistant might need to make an emergency run when the restaurant runs out of truffle oil.
Transportation while working remains the leading cause of fatalities for employees in the United States and one of the biggest causes of workplace injury. Car crashes are a major contributor to workplace risks for injury as well. In 2018, there were 1,826 workplace fatalities that involved driving or riding in a car. Many other workers got hurt in crashes, with an average claim cost of $65,000 per hurt worker.
Know your rights after a workplace car crash
You don’t have to be a transportation professional to have a transportation-related claim after a workplace injury. You only need to have suffered injuries and property damage in a crash caused by another driver.
You can potentially make an insurance claim against their motor vehicle policy and potentially even file a civil lawsuit against them, in addition to whatever you seek through workers’ compensation. Especially when such benefits leave you with a noteworthy budget gap, looking at all of your options for compensation after you get hurt in a crash while working could help protect you.
