On-the-Job Auto Accidents
On-the-job injuries can be of all different varieties, and figuring out how to recover and from whom can be difficult for plaintiffs. For example, say you are driving a delivery van for your employer and someone runs a red light and t-bones the van, causing permanent injuries that leave you partially disabled. Who can you turn to for help paying your medical bills and recovering from your injuries. The answer lies in the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident, your employment status, and a host of other factors that determine which parties may be liable for your injuries.
The first place to look when you are injured on the job would be to your employer's workers' compensation insurance. As a general rule, workers' compensation insurance is supposed to compensate an employee for on-the-job injuries regardless of who was at fault, the key inquiry being whether or not the employee is injured during the scope of his employment.
Of course, an employee cannot recover from an employer's workers' comp carrier if that employer does not carry such insurance, and the driver responsible for the accident should bear some responsibility, so a personal injury lawsuit may be in order as well. Depending on the circumstances, an injured motorist may be able to recover for the negligence of the other party by obtaining compensatory damages and may be able to recover for punitive damages as well if the conduct of the other driver is particularly egregious.
The bottom line with work-related auto accidents is that an employee has multiple avenues for recovery in many cases and needs to make sure that they maximize that recovery by holding all potential parties responsible. Contact an East Tennessee Personal Injury Attorney for assistance in planning your lawsuit in order to maximize your recovery.
