{"id":1077,"date":"2018-10-31T12:02:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T16:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/?p=1077"},"modified":"2018-10-31T12:02:07","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T16:02:07","slug":"what-happens-if-you-are-in-a-car-accident-in-a-company-vehicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/what-happens-if-you-are-in-a-car-accident-in-a-company-vehicle\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens If You Are in a Car Accident in a Company Vehicle?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><b>If you&#8217;re in a car accident in a company vehicle you may not be sure what to do next. We take a look at the ins and outs of company car accidents.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accidents in a company car while driving under the influence occurs 85% less than in private cars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s often fatigue (23% higher) and tailgating (14% higher) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimcoach.com\/accident-at-work.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making company drivers riskier<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Common risks for company car accidents also include distracted driving, speeding, and carelessness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what if the worst happens? You might know your employer&#8217;s rules for reporting the accident, but there&#8217;s more to the story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This situation is much different than when you&#8217;re in your personal vehicle. In fact, your personal auto policy does not cover you in your employer&#8217;s car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s what happens if you are in a car accident in a company vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Immediately After the Accident<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The list of what to do right after the accident is not much different than an accident in your personal car.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call the police and get a report<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take pictures of the damage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there are injuries, call for an ambulance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get driver and witness contact information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact your employer<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide all information to employer&#8217;s insurance company<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The information and documentation assists the insurance company in determining fault. From there, it&#8217;s their decision on paying the claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Fault Can Be Relative<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Determining fault is at the heart of the claims process. In cases when there are two vehicles, one driver can be 100% at fault.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, when there are more than two vehicles, the fault can split between the drivers. If a driver is 50% at fault, the insurer will pay 50% of the claim value.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Your Company&#8217;s Liability<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees may believe the company&#8217;s insurance covers any accident in a company car. But, there are many stipulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your employer lists company rules for their cars, and they expect you&#8217;ll follow them. For those who have their car 24\/7, there are limits on personal use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are using the car for personal errands when the accident occurs, you can be liable for your own expenses. Also, commute time to and from business duties limits your company&#8217;s responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, the term &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizfilings.com\/toolkit\/research-topics\/office-hr\/understanding-the-theory-of-respondeat-superior-liability\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">respondeat superior<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; applies to your employer. The term means they are, by law, responsible for your actions while you are performing duties for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your company&#8217;s insurer will pay damages to victims for repairs and injuries. Let&#8217;s say a victim decides to sue you for pain and suffering or lost wages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company insurer provides legal counsel, court costs, and pays the judgment if there is one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In these scenarios, a commercial auto policy is much like a private auto policy. But, the coverage amounts for a commercial policy are much higher.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Your Liability<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there times when the employee is liable? Yes. If the accident occurs during these situations:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Driving under the influence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engaging in criminal activity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any behavior other than company business (goofing off)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An independent contractor using a personal car<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commuting to or from the business day<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the car for personal business\/recreation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone knows having a company car is a great perk. But, before you take the keys, make sure you know all the stipulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, commercial drivers often lease the vehicle from the employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most transportation companies have contracts which alleviates them from any responsibility for accidents. The drivers must carry their own policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Does Worker&#8217;s Comp Insurance Cover Injuries?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Worker&#8217;s comp <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that occur on the job. This includes when they&#8217;re driving the company car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The policy also covers out-of-pocket expenses and a part of lost wages if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers also have liability insurance for to cover third parties. If a non-employee is in a car accident with their employee, the liability policy covers them, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers who file a slip and fall accident will access the same policy for their claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, the caveat to receiving worker&#8217;s comp payments is negligence of the employee. Driving under the influence or careless driving are a few examples.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Should You Get an Attorney?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a few reasons getting an attorney is a good idea. If an insurer denies the claim, you can be liable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, if losses include injury or lost wages, representation may help recover them. Pain and suffering due to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bondtaylor.com\/important-steps-car-accident-injuries\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">car accident injuries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is recoverable only through litigation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, the fault is not as clear-cut as it may seem. If more investigation is necessary, an attorney can proceed with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, once a driver has legal counsel, no longer deal with insurance companies alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Do Employers Terminate Employment Due to a Car Accident in a Company Vehicle?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most Americans work under an at-will employment status. Those not at-will include federal government workers, union members, and some municipal workers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rest of us can suffer termination for any reason (other than discrimination) at any time. You can&#8217;t lose your job because of your race or age. But, your employer doesn&#8217;t need a legal reason to fire you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that said, a car accident in a company vehicle costs time and money. Fault for the accident is part of the claim process and has nothing to do with employment status.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, can you lose your job even when the accident was not your fault? Yes. Your best defense is to understand your company&#8217;s rules and drive safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take further pro-active steps by sticking to business while you&#8217;re in the driver&#8217;s seat.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Employers Can&#8217;t Do<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you read the rules for the company car, be vigilant about rules that are impossible to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a rule states that termination occurs due to &#8220;avoidable accidents&#8221;, ask questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth is, not all accidents are avoidable. Statistics tell us we&#8217;ll each have one every 5 years. Asking that you never have a car accident in a company vehicle is too high of a bar for anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This specific example may hold up well in court if you want to fight it. But, the best way to fight it is sign up for it in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out more information! From the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to hiring the best drivers, we have easy answers.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re in a car accident in a company vehicle you may not be sure what to do next. We take a look at the ins and outs of company car accidents. Accidents in a company car while driving under the influence occurs 85% less than in private cars. It&#8217;s often fatigue (23% higher) and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1077"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1079,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077\/revisions\/1079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}