What Happens If I Was in a Car Accident While on the Job Clock?

Many people drive while performing their job duties, and the last thing they want to deal with is a car accident. However, what happens if you are involved in a car accident while on the job?

According to car accident lawyer Pendergrass, in many cases, your employer might have to pay for both your medical expenses and lost wages, as stated in Georgia’s worker’s compensation law.

Suppose you weren’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In that case, the worker’s compensation act should cover you even if you were responsible for the accident. Here is what you should know.

Work-Related Car Accidents

If you want to know if you are eligible for worker’s compensation, your car accident must have occurred while you were performing work duties. Examples include the following:

• Running an errand for your employer or making deliveries
• Transporting another employee
• Traveling for work with have no fixed office
• You are compensated for travel time, and the accident occurred when you were commuting to or from work

You can’t collect workers’ compensation benefits if the accident occurred when tiy were off the clock, such as traveling during a lunch break. However, if your employer asks you to buy them something, such as a coffee or pick-up supplies, you are eligible for compensation.

The Importance of Fault in Car Accidents

Fault plays a major role in car accidents. However, liability is less important when it comes to work-related car accidents. It all has to do with Georgia’s no-fault system for workers’ compensation, which states that employees are covered in the event of an accident even if they are at fault.

The critical aspect here is to prove that you were performing a task for the benefit of your employer or company. If you can’t prove this, then the accident won’t be labeled as work-related, and you won’t be covered. However, you should consult a workers’ compensation lawyer to learn more.

Steps to Take in a Work-Related Car Crash

Suppose you are involved in a work-related car accident. In that case, it is important to remain calm and proceed as you would in a normal car accident. Basically, there are four essential steps you should take:

Call the authorities

Just like in regular car accidents, your first step should be to contact the authorities and wait for them to arrive at the scene. If someone is critically injured, speak with the authorities and ask for instructions.

Accept medical treatment

No matter how fine you feel, you should get a medical check-up. It will prove useful for your case, but most importantly, you will need to treat any injuries. Some injuries don’t manifest right away and show up days or weeks later.

Tell your employer

You should inform your boss about your accident and injuries as soon as possible. They should open an injury report and initiate the workers’ compensation process.

Contact a lawyer

If your employer doesn’t initiate the workers’ compensation process, or there are other issues that you want to address about your work-related accident, contact a lawyer right away. A workers’ compensation attorney can prove that you were performing work-related duties and help you deal with any issues that might arise from an uncooperative employer.