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Auto accidents contribute a lot to work-related injuries. While some of these accidents happen with construction vehicles and large machinery, others take place in trucks, vans, and sedans on public roads. An auto accident while working can differ from an average accident because you were on the clock during the accident.
Regardless of whether or not you caused the accident, you must notify your employer immediately. It’s also important to contact your attorney to help you file a worker’s compensation for a car accident claim. The good thing is that an attorney may assist you to figure out whether the worker’s compensation insurance can pay for medical expenses related to the injuries you sustained in the auto accident while working.
While workers’ compensation encompasses a wide range of expenses, it doesn’t cover everything. As such, whether you are a resident or worker in any given area, it’s crucial to be aware of the resources available to you, including the expertise of Stone Rose Law or other similar personal injury lawyers, in navigating the complex landscape of workers’ compensation and workplace accidents.
Dealing with an auto accident
Being involved in an auto accident can be an overwhelming experience, so it’s crucial to know the steps you need to take afterward. The process of dealing with an auto accident starts at the scene and ensures everyone involved is safe.
Remember that keeping calm can make it easier to deal with an auto accident and its aftermath. You need to check yourself to see if there are any visible injuries. If you think that you are injured in an auto accident, call for help. Don’t try to move if you sustain serious injuries until assistance can get to you.
The insurance experts also recommend that you need to clear the roadway if you can manage. Therefore, you can pull your vehicle to the shoulder to make sure that it is out of the way of the coming cars. If an auto accident happens during the night, you should turn the hazard lights on your car to ensure that other vehicles can see you. However, if you can move your vehicle, then consider taking yourself to a safe place away from the accident scene.
If you didn’t sustain any injuries in the accident and you can assess the damage to the car, then take some time to do this. You should try to take some photos showing the position of the vehicles, especially if they have not been towed. But if you can’t take the photos, you should consider drawing a picture to demonstrate how the auto accident happened before you forget important details.
It’s important to call law enforcement to the accident scene if the crash is a serious one. The good thing is that the police can write a report of the auto accident, so you should always ask for a copy to help you with the insurance claim.
You should also remember that state laws can differ on the type of information you are required to exchange with the other driver after an auto accident. Ideally, you should expect to exchange insurance information and names. However, you can also attempt to get other crucial information, such as the phone number of the other driver, the make and model of the car, the name and contact details of the witnesses, the name and badge number of law enforcement officers, and many more.
Above all, you need to decide whether or not to file an insurance claim. Car insurance is there to protect your financial interest if you find yourself in a car accident. In some states, you need to have a minimum amount of property damage and bodily injury liability coverage. Both of these liability coverage is designed to reimburse the other driver if you are the party at fault in the accident.
While your insurance policy’s collision coverage can cover damages to your vehicle, personal injury protection coverage or medical payments coverage can cover the cost of injuries that you sustain. If you intend to file a claim, you need to contact your insurance company immediately after the accident.
Each insurance company can have its process you need to follow to file a claim and a list of details you may need to provide. Besides, you should be ready to provide any documents you have, such as a copy of the police report, the other driver’s details, and photos. Your insurance company may assign an adjuster to handle your case. This person can assess any injuries and damages to determine the exact amount of money the insurer can pay to cover that claim.
An auto accident while working
The way you deal with the insurance process, as well as payment for your injuries, can differ depending on whether you were or not working at the time of the accident. If you were not working when the accident happened, you can decide to use your health insurance and even file a claim against the at-fault party’s auto insurance. In this case, your employer can have little to do with your situation except to ask you if you require accommodation while you recover and coordinate with you on the best time to return to work.
On the other hand, if you were working during the auto accident, then you must file a worker’s compensation claim so that they can pay for lost wages and medical expenses. Unfortunately, there are sometimes certain gray areas when it comes to determining whether or not you were working. It can usually be clear when you are not working and you are driving to do personal things like going to an appointment, driving your children to school, and running errands.
If you are driving to work or from work, this is usually considered to be personal time. This is true unless you don’t have a fixed office and need to travel to several worksites, or you get paid for the time during your commute.
In such situations, an accident you get involved in while driving to work or home after completing your work can need a workers’ compensation claim. If you are not sure whether you were working when the auto accident happened, you need to speak with an attorney to help you analyze the situation. An attorney can also help you to file a workers’ compensation claim or even look for other ways to cover your expenses. Below are some of the things you have to do after an auto accident while working:
Handle the auto accident like any other
If you are involved in an auto accident while working, you need to take the same ones as if you were not working at the time of the accident. If necessary, you should get immediate medical attention. But if you didn’t sustain any injuries, then you must stay at the accident scene so that you can exchange key details with the other driver involved and report the accident to the police.
Whether you were driving a work car or your vehicle, you should get the name of the other driver, insurance information, and contact information. Likewise, the other driver can also require your contact information, your name, contact information, your employer’s name and contact details, and many more. Remember that you should never admit fault and avoid confronting the other driver regarding the person who caused the accident.
Notify your employer
In addition to exchanging information and talking to the police, you need to contact your employer immediately after the accident. It’s important for your supervisor to know exactly what happened immediately during working hours. This is because any injuries you sustain while working may need a workers’ compensation for car accidents claim.
It’s also good to know that if you were driving a car owned by your company, it will require to be towed away from the accident scene and eventually be replaced or repaired. Either you or your employer will have to inform the car insurance provider and perhaps make a first-party claim or even make a third-party claim from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
You should consider filing a workers’ compensation claim
After a work-related car accident, you should file a workers’ compensation claim so that you can get benefits. In some states, your employer can cover your medical expenses and some of the lost wages once you are injured while working. Simply put, if you are involved in an auto crash while working or during a work-related activity, then workers’ compensation needs to apply. And, this doesn’t matter whether you caused the accident or not.
You should always have medical expenses cover and get some of the wages while not working once you file a workers’ compensation claim. However, your employer can sometimes deny the claim and even fight against paying the benefits. The good thing is that you can minimize the chances of a denied claim by hiring an attorney at Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. An experienced lawyer can make sure that your claim is filed properly, and denial is accurately and quickly appealed.
Workers’ compensation can usually not cover all the expenses or even fix your financial situation, especially if you can no longer work. In such cases, you must consider filing a personal injury lawsuit.
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