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Are job-related car crashes eligible for workers’ compensation?

On Behalf of | Jan 4, 2018 | Workers' Compensation |

Workers’ compensation benefits are available for employees suffering all sorts of on-the-job injuries. These traditionally include such things as back pain (from repetitive motion trauma), broken bones, falls, crush injuries and occupational illnesses like cancer caused by chemical exposure.

What some people might not realize is that people hurt in work-related Staten Island car crashes might also be eligible for work comp. In some circumstances, an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage will even provide benefits if the worker him or herself is partially at fault for the injury-causing auto accident.

When would an on-the-job collision fall under work comp?

The most common scenario in which job-related car accidents are compensable is that of a delivery driver.

If you, as a pizza delivery driver (for example), are injured when another vehicle pulls out in front of yours on the way back to the restaurant from a customer’s home, your injuries clearly occurred during the course of your job duties. This would also be the case if you were running an errand for your boss or picking up coffee for an early-morning meeting, provided such tasks are part of your employment.

Other situations where car accidents are – at least arguably – job-related include:

  • Necessary travel that is compensable by your employer, including to and from client/vendor meetings, attending conferences or getting on-site training
  • Driving with a colleague or client for a work-related task; this could be taking a client of your employer’s body-repair shop to a rental car location, or transporting a fellow stock trader to a different branch location of your brokerage firm

Myriad laws and guidelines govern workers’ compensation benefits in New York, but the cases are often fact-specific and require a practiced eye to determine if coverage is appropriate. When you need help filing a claim for benefits – or appealing a denial of coverage for your injuries – speak with a skilled Staten Island work comp attorney today.

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