On-the-Job Vehicle Accidents: What Are Your Rights?
On-the-Job Vehicle Accidents: What Are Your Rights?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that about 39 percent of fatal workplace accidents involve motor vehicles. Many people drive for work, whether they are behind the wheel all day or simply drive from one work site to another once in a while. Every time an employee is in a vehicle, they are at risk of being injured in a vehicle accident.
If you suffered injuries in an on-the-job car accident, your eligibility for workers' compensation benefits hinges on the facts of when the accident happened and how you were using the vehicle.
Simply put, if you are acting within the line and scope of your employment in your vehicle at the time of the vehicle accident, you are likely entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
To obtain assistance with an on-the-job vehicle accident claim, you may first want to speak to a workers’ compensation lawyer to learn more about your rights with respect to seeking benefits.
A skilled workers’ compensation attorney in Alabama handles claims that involve:
- Accidents that occur while driving a company vehicle
- Accidents that occur during in-person sales or marketing calls
- Accidents that happen in your car during a work-related activity
- Vehicle accidents that happen during construction work
- Delivery-related accidents
It is always worth it to seek a consultation to learn about your rights to workers’ compensation benefits.
Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Alabama
Workers’ compensation does not apply to companies or institutions that hire common carrier owners/operators, farm laborers, or U.S. or state government employees. Claims in these work venues are separate. If your employer does have workers’ compensation coverage, you must notify them of your accident within five days of the incident.
Alabama workers' compensation law shields your employer from negligence claims resulting from accidents at work. In exchange, you do not have to prove negligence or other wrongdoing to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. You can even obtain benefits if your own error led to the crash. This is because workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. If you file a successful claim, you have the right to receive:
- Coverage of your medical expenses
- Compensation for future medical treatment and expenses
- Wage replacement or temporary disability benefits while out of work
- Compensation for any permanent impairment that you suffered from the on-the-job vehicle accident
Third-Party Claims
Other drivers can be negligent in many ways, and a negligent driver who caused your accident should be held responsible. While you cannot file a fault-based lawsuit against your employer after a work-related vehicle accident, you might have the right to file a claim against a third party not affiliated with your employer.
When you file a third-party claim, you have the opportunity to seek greater compensation than the workers’ compensation laws provide. This is because a third-party claim allows you to seek damages for pain and suffering and other intangible losses. The Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr., LLC, can advise whether you can file this type of claim or not.
Contact an Alabama Workers’ Compensation Attorney about Your Work-Related Vehicle Accident
If you want to learn more about filing a claim for a work-related vehicle accident, don’t waste any time doing so. The Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr., LLC, is ready to help with the workers’ compensation claim. Contact us online for more information today.
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
The Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr. serves Montgomery County, Pike County, Elmore County, Autauga County, the River Region of Alabama and throughout the State of Alabama, including Montgomery, Troy, Wetumpka Prattville, Selma and Tuskegee. No attorney-client relationship is established by requesting a consultation or emailing Attorney Richard F. Matthews, Jr.. Information submitted in such communication is not privileged and may be subject to disclosure.
Our Location
The Law Office of
Richard F. Matthews, Jr.
621 South Hull Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
The Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr. serves Montgomery County, Pike County, Elmore County, Autauga County, the River Region of Alabama and throughout the State of Alabama, including Montgomery, Troy, Wetumpka Prattville, Selma and Tuskegee. No attorney-client relationship is established by requesting a consultation or emailing Attorney Richard F. Matthews, Jr.. Information submitted in such communication is not privileged and may be subject to disclosure.
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