Many people drive as part of their daily work. For some workers, like transportation professionals and delivery drivers, driving may be one of the only things the worker does each day. For others, like HVAC professionals or insurance adjusters, driving occasionally may be part of the job.
Unfortunately, motor vehicle collisions are one of the top reasons that workers get hurt at work or die on the job. Crashes are a serious safety risk, and they can leave people unable to continue working for several days, if not longer.
Most workers affected by a job-related collision in California will be able to file a car insurance claim. Why would they need to file a workers’ compensation claim as well?
Car insurance has serious limitations
Although every driver in California should have liability coverage, they may not have very much. It is quite common for drivers to only carry what the state requires, which might mean they have only $30,000 worth of bodily injury protection. In a crash where one person gets hurt, the professional injured will only have $30,000 worth of benefits to cover both their medical costs and their lost wages during their recovery.
Some drivers do carry more insurance, but there are also a few that have no insurance at all. Pursuing a workers’ compensation claim helps extend the available coverage. The medical protection becomes effectively unlimited. There will also be disability benefits that will help cover some of an individual’s lost wages.
Workers can combine the coverage available through workers’ compensation with the protection provided by the other driver’s insurance to more completely cover their expenses related to the wreck.
A workers’ compensation claim helps in other ways as well
When you report a crash that occurs on the clock to your employer, you potentially make it easier to get accommodations based on your injury later. You also prevent those injuries from affecting how your employer views you or your job performance. When the company knows of the situation, they will be less likely to take punitive measures against you and more likely to accommodate you if you need support to continue doing your job.
Pursuing a workers’ compensation claim is a common-sense step for those injured in a car crash while working.