When one of your job descriptions involves driving regularly on behalf of your employer, you may not give much thought to what would happen if you become involved in an accident. This concern may never make its way into your mindset until you actually are in an on-the-job accident. However, after you have been involved in an accident while driving for your employer, you may wonder who will pay for your accident and your injuries.
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Knowing what steps to take after an on-the-job driving accident and when to seek legal counsel can help you recoup monetary losses and avoid being held responsible for the accident. The following 3 steps should be adhered to if you find yourself in an on-the-job driving accident.
1) Contact Law Enforcement and Emergency Services First
Your very first priority after an on-the-job driving accident should be to call for help immediately. If your injuries do not prevent you from using your cell phone and speaking so that a 911 operator can understand you, you should immediately call for police and an ambulance. This action is required by law, in fact. Further, calling the police and an ambulance to the scene immediately protects your account of what happened. You will have official reports from both the police and the first responders to the circumstances of the wreck and the extent of your injuries.
2) Notify Your Employer and File a Workers Comp Claim
After you are treated at the scene or taken to the hospital, your next call should be to your workplace. You should notify your boss that you have been in an on-the-job driving accident and that you intend to file a workers compensation claim at the hospital or your doctor's office for your medical treatment.
Your employer may not appreciate this news; nonetheless, it is your legal right to do so. In fact, if your own insurance company finds out your injuries occurred while you were at work, it may not pay for your claims and instead advise to file against your company's workers compensation coverage.
3) Hire a Local Personal Injury Accident Attorney
Your employer may do everything legally possible to avoid paying for the accident and your injuries. If you were driving your own personal car, in fact, your company may try to get you to make a claim against your own insurance company. Your insurance company probably would deny your claim, which would force you to pursue action again against your employer. This back-and-forth confusion should not be forced upon you, however. Rather than get caught in the middle and end up on bad terms with your own employer, you should instead hire an attorney.
You can find a good personal injury attorney in your area by looking online. Do a search engine inquiry by inputting your local geographic area and the kind of attorney you are searching for. For example, in Michigan, input "Michigan car accident attorney." Another way to search for a local attorney is by calling your state's bar association and asking for a referral.
Your lawyer can take over advocating for you and pursue rightful legal action against your employer if necessary. Further, your lawyer will know your state's laws regarding on-the-job driving accidents and be able to use this knowledge to your benefit. Without an attorney by your side, your company may try to get you to agree to an easy settlement or force you to take action that is not in your best interest.
Your job duties may require that you drive on behalf of your employer. When you are in an accident and sustain injuries, you may wonder how you will pay for your repair and medical bills. Knowing the steps to follow after an on-the-job driving accident and when to retain an attorney can help you recover from this event.
Lisa Coleman shares the steps a person should take if injured or involved in an on-the-job driving accident, and encourages consulting with an accident attorney. Recently, she read about how a Michigan car accident attorney, the Stroble Law Firm, was experienced in injury law and how they were equipped to represent clients injured on the job while driving in many locations within the state of Michigan.