For any reason you might think of to receive workers’ compensation benefits, what comes to mind might not be a car accident. However, you can file a claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer if you were injured in a car accident while riding a vehicle or driving for a work-related reason.
Sternberg / Forsythe, Pa have helped several employees recover the compensation they deserved after an on-the-job auto accident or work-related injury as experienced Florida car accident attorneys. You can contact us today to schedule no obligation, free consultation for help with your claim if you were performing the needed duties of your job, and got injured during a car accident.
Were You on the Job When Your Car Accident Happen?
You may want to understand that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover all injuries. It is only if the injuries occurred during the scope of your employment that you are only able to receive workers’ compensation benefits. As such, to obtain benefits, you have been performing and working the tasks of your job at the time of your injury.
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance could cover you if you were injured in a car accident while riding or driving in a vehicle for work-related reasons. An on-the-job auto accident may include:
- Driving from one work site to another
- Running a work-related errand
- Driving another employee for business purposes
- Taking a trip for a compensated work-related reason
- Making a delivery
You could file a workers’ compensation claim as an employee whose primary responsibilities and duties revolve around driving if a car accident caused you injury at your regular work hours. Also, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim when in the course of this commute, you are injured in a car accident as an employee who is paid for travel time to their home or remotely based.
However, if the car accident happens outside the hours you are paid, you cannot receive workers’ compensation, including during lunch or your commute between home and work. Also, you can get workers’ compensation benefits if the car accident occurred while you were deviating from your regular work duties.
What If the Fault of the Car Accident was mine?
A civil court case is different from a workers’ compensation claim, such as a car accident claim or a standard personal injury claim. Therefore, for you to receive benefits, you don’t have to prove that another party is liable for causing your injury as it is a no-fault insurance system. As such, you may still be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits if you were injured in the collision, even if you were responsible for causing an auto accident.
If you want to settle your case quickly to receive the proper compensation for your injuries and you want to make all the difference in your liability, you will need to work with a law firm that has experience with passenger injury in car accidents like Sternberg | Forsythe, P.A.
Filing a Car Accident Claim Against the Other Driver
You can also file a third-party injury claim against the driver that caused your auto accident apart from the claim for workers’ compensation benefits. While you simultaneously pursue workers’ compensation insurance, it can be quite tricky to file a personal injury claim even though doing this may increase the compensation you could recover for your injury.
You will have to prove that the cause of the collision was from the other driver for an auto accident claim, which is not like a workers’ compensation claim that only requires you got injured while on the job. As additional insurance companies representing the at-fault party my heavily scrutinize your claim, this may complicate the claims process.
Also, depending on the severity of your injuries and due to lost wages as a result of a car accident on the job, you may file a workers’ compensation claim and receive a range of compensation. Benefits may include missed work wages and payments for rehabilitation due to recovery in addition to out-of-pocket expenses and reimbursement for medical bills.
Exceptions to Coverage
There are exceptions even when workers’ compensation tends to be generally available to employees regardless of their fault in causing an accident. Employees may not be able to secure benefits if they are committing a criminal act at the time of the motor vehicle collision. Also, while commuting to work but have not yet begun working is another exception to coverage.
Discuss Your Claim for Workers’ Compensation with a Florida Attorney
You can call our office at Sternberg | Forsythe, P.A. to set up a free, confidential consultation to get facts about your legal rights following a car accident on the job. Our focused and efficient Florida attorneys will pursue benefits for you. With decades of combined experience representing workers in a variety of industries, we are familiar with Florida workers’ compensation laws to protect your legal right to medical care and benefits.