What to Do After a Car Accident in a Company Car
Posted in Car accidents on June 15, 2020
Most people do not spend much time thinking about what they will do in the aftermath of a car accident. Unfortunately, most people will be involved in an auto collision at some point during their lifetime. In some cases, accidents happen when a person is a passenger or driver inside of a company vehicle. If this is happened to you or a loved one, there are steps you can take to ensure that you receive compensation for your car accident expenses. These cases can become complicated because they often involve an added layer of compensation routes, namely workers’ compensation.
1. Call 911 and report the accident
The police need to come to the scene of just about every accident in Tennessee. Not only will calling 911 expedite the emergency medical response, but it also ensures that there will be a police report related to the incident.
2. Seek medical attention
You need to seek medical attention for your injuries, regardless of how major or minor they are. By seeking medical care, you are ensuring your well-being and ruling out the possibility of any delayed or internal injuries. By seeking prompt medical attention, you are also establishing a link between your injuries and the crash.
3. Gather evidence
If possible, use a cell phone to take photographs at the scene of the crash. Take pictures of damages, injuries, causes of the crash, skid marks and debris, and more. Get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to the crash. Be sure the get the driver’s license and insurance information of other drivers involved.
4. Report the incident to your employer
Your employer needs to know what happened if you were involved in a crash in a work vehicle. This is especially true if you were operating within the scope of your work duties at the time that the crash occurred.
5. Report the incident to the insurance carrier
If you report the incident to your employer, they will likely contact their commercial insurance carrier for you. However, if the vehicle is a take-home car and you are responsible for your own insurance during off-duty hours, you may need to report the incident to your personal insurance carrier.
6. Contact an attorney
These cases can become complicated, and you may need assistance from a Nashville car accident attorney. An attorney will have the resources necessary to conduct a full investigation into the incident and obtain maximum compensation regardless of whether or not you are on-duty at the time of the accident.
Will this be covered under an auto insurance policy or through workers’ compensation?
When anyone is involved in an accident while riding in a company-owned vehicle, there are going to be questions about how they will be compensated for their medical expenses and lost wages. If an accident happened when an employee was operating within the scope of their work duties, they should be covered for their injuries through workers’ compensation insurance, regardless of which party was at fault for the incident.
However, for an accident that happened in a company-owned vehicle in which the employee was not operating within the scope of their duties (i.e. a take-home car), then Tennessee fault-based laws will apply. If the employee was not at fault for the incident, they should be able to recover compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier.