When a Vehicle Accident Is Also a Work Injury

A car or truck accident may count as a work injury when it happens while you are doing your job. This can include driving a company vehicle, making deliveries, visiting customers, or traveling between job sites.

Coverage depends on the facts of the accident. An accident during your regular commute may raise different questions. Do not assume that workers’ compensation covers or excludes your accident without reviewing the details.

Workers who may suffer job-related vehicle accidents include:

• Delivery drivers and couriers
• Commercial truck drivers
• Construction workers traveling between job sites
• Home health and service workers
• Sales employees who visit customers
• Employees running errands for their employers

Workers’ Compensation Benefits After an Accident

California workers’ compensation may provide benefits when a vehicle accident causes a work-related injury. Depending on your case, these benefits may include:

• Medical treatment for your injury
• Temporary disability payments if you cannot work while recovering
• Permanent disability payments if you do not fully recover
• A retraining voucher if you cannot return to your regular job
• Death benefits for qualifying dependents after a fatal accident

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation identifies these as the five basic categories of workers’ compensation benefits. California DWC benefits information

What If Another Driver Caused the Accident?

Workers’ compensation and personal injury claims follow different rules. A workers’ compensation claim focuses on the connection between your job and your injury.

An accident caused by another driver may also involve a separate personal injury claim. That claim might address losses that workers’ compensation does not cover. The two claims can also affect each other.

Cleveland & Metz handles the workers’ compensation side of job-related car and truck accidents. The firm does not handle general car-accident or personal injury cases however we can refer you to a local personal injury attorney who understands how Worker’s Compensation and personal injury cases overlap and work with that attorney concurrently in both cases.. An injured worker may need a separate personal injury attorney to review any claim against another driver or company.

What Should You Do After a Work-Related Crash?

Report the accident and your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Ask your employer for a workers’ compensation claim form and keep a copy after you return it.

You should also:

• Tell your medical provider that the accident happened while you were working.
• Keep copies of medical records, work restrictions, and letters from the insurance company.
• Save the accident report and insurance information.
• Write down the names of witnesses.
• Keep photographs or videos related to the accident when available.

Filing a claim form helps protect your rights and starts the workers’ compensation process. California DWC claim guidance

Help With the Workers’ Compensation Claim

Cleveland & Metz represents injured workers in California workers’ compensation cases, including injuries from job-related car and truck accidents.

Contact our office for a free consultation about the workers’ compensation part of your case.