Who is Responsible for Work-Related Auto Accidents?
Work-related injuries happen every day. But when you are in a work-related car accident, you may be unsure of how to proceed. Do you file a claim with the insurance company? Are you entitled to workers’ compensation benefits? How are you going to provide for your family while you are unable to work and recuperating from your injuries?
These are just a few of the questions that you might have regarding your work-related auto accident. Get help figuring out what your next steps should be when you contact a Pittsburgh car accident lawyer at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman. Call our office at 412-567-1232 or toll-free at 866-466-5789 to schedule your free case review today.
Common Causes of Auto Accidents
In order to figure out who is responsible for your work-related auto accident, we must first look at what caused the collision. Car accidents can occur for a number of different reasons. But there are some that occur more frequently than others.
For example, one of the most common causes of car accidents is negligent driving. But negligent driving can take a number of different forms. Essentially, any type of dangerous driving could be considered negligent, as every driver has a duty of care to the other drivers that they share the roads with. Some of the more common types of negligent driving include:
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Distracted driving
- Following too closely
- Failure to use a turn signal
- Failure to stop
- Failure to yield
- Making an illegal turn
- Speeding
Negligent drivers are not the only cause of work-related auto accidents. Dangerous road conditions caused by negligent government agencies, and defective auto parts are also major contributors to these types of accidents. Your attorney will need to thoroughly review the details of your case in order to determine who is at fault for causing your accident. This will go a long way in helping to determine who should be responsible for covering your costs.
Who Pays When Your Car Accident is Work-Related?
When you have suffered serious injuries in a work-related car accident, there are multiple ways that you could be awarded compensation for your damages. Let’s take a closer look at how workers’ compensation works and when you may need to file a civil claim.
Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation
First, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. The majority of employers in the state of Pennsylvania are required by law to carry workers’ comp coverage. This will protect their employees in the event that they are seriously injured in a work-related accident.
Workers’ compensation benefits may cover certain types of expenses such as your medical bills or the costs of vocational rehabilitation if you are so severely injured that you are unable to return to your line of work. Worker’s comp will also include disability benefits that amount to approximately two-thirds of your average weekly wages. Generally, you may be able to collect these disability benefits until you are able to return to work.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit
As can be seen, the benefits that you can be awarded through workers’ compensation barely make a dent in the types of damages that you have likely suffered. If you hope to recover maximum compensation for all of the pain and suffering you have been through, you may need to be prepared to file a lawsuit against the responsible driver and their insurer. By filing an auto accident claim, you may be able to recover compensation for both your economic and non-economic damages.
Get Help from a Car Accident Lawyer in Pittsburgh
If you were critically injured in an auto accident at work, you have the right to specific benefits and other forms of compensation. If you hope to get the most out of your case, reach out to an experienced Pittsburgh auto accident lawyer at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman.
You can contact our office by phone at 412-567-1232 or toll-free at 866-466-5789 when you are ready to schedule your free, no-obligation claim evaluation. Or complete our online contact form to get started on your case today.
