When you’re injured while on the road, you might begin to wonder if it qualifies for workers’ compensation. Every situation is different, and you’ll want to speak with the workers’ compensation board in your state to truly understand what you’re entitled to. The following are some scenarios to help you understand.
Injured While Driving Home From Work
In most cases, if you’re injured while driving home from work, you are not entitled to workers’ compensation. You already clocked out, have left the property and are now on your own time. If you drive a company vehicle, however, you might be entitled to workers’ compensation, but only if you go straight from work to home. If you make any stops along the way, it could forfeit your right to compensation.
What if you work remotely? Coverage might depend on your contract and your agreement with your employer. For example, if you are a door-to-door salesman, and your agreement states the work day begins at the first home and ends at the last home, you wouldn’t be entitled to workers’ compensation between the last home you make a call at and your own home. If your agreement states the work day begins as you pull out of your own driveway and ends when you pull back in, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation on your way home.
Injured While at An Out-of-Town Conference
Imagine you have to go out of town to a conference for work. If you’re injured in a car accident, do you receive workers’ compensation? Again, it depends on the specifics of the situation and the agreement you have with your employer. If the conference is three days long, and your accident happens on the second day, you’re probably entitled to coverage.
If your accident happens on day five, it wouldn’t be within the time of the conference, and you probably wouldn’t be entitled to coverage. You most likely extended your stay for personal reasons, making the accident unrelated to your job.
Injured While Running Errands During Your Work Day
Sometimes you have to run errands during the day. Maybe you stop somewhere while on your lunch break, or maybe you take some time off to get those things done. In either case, you’re typically not given workers’ compensation benefits to cover injuries sustained in an accident while running personal errands.
If your errands include picking up paper for the office, you might be entitled to compensation. If you’re doing it as a gift for your boss, you may not have coverage, but if your boss asks you to pick up the paper while you’re out, you probably have coverage.
Getting Your Lawyer on the Case
Workplace accidents can be tricky when they involve car accidents, as a workers compensation lawyer, like from The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, can explain. Get a workers’ compensation lawyer on the case if you need assistance receiving the compensation you deserve.
