If you get hurt in a traffic collision while driving as part of your work duties, you may be able to seek financial recovery through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. That said, there are strict rules about what qualifies as a “work injury” in Nevada.
In the wake of a work-related car accident in Reno, it can be especially important to have help from a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer if you want to maximize the benefits you are able to obtain. With a legal representative from Shook & Stone on your side, you will have far better chances of achieving the best possible case result.
When Are Car Crashes Covered by Workers’ Comp?
Workers’ compensation insurance coverage provides benefits to any covered employee who suffers an injury or contracts an illness as a direct result of conditions they were exposed to while performing “work-related” tasks. Accordingly, if someone is driving between work sites after clocking in for the day, making deliveries or transporting personnel on behalf of an employer, or doing something like picking up lunch orders for coworkers, they would likely be covered by workers’ comp in the event they get hurt in a traffic collision.
Notably, though, car accidents in Reno that happen while someone is commuting to work before a shift starts or from work after a shift ends are not considered “work-related.” This is because of something called the “going and coming” rule, which a qualified legal professional from Shook & Stone can explain in more detail during a confidential consultation.
Filing Suit Over a Work-Related Auto Accident
Suppose a work-related car crash in Reno is caused by a third party’s reckless or careless actions behind the wheel. In that case, an injured worker may have the right to file a civil suit against the person responsible in addition to pursuing benefits through workers’ comp. If successful, a lawsuit of this nature may allow recovery for various accident-related losses that traditional workers’ comp does not cover, such as:
- Personal property damage
- Physical and psychological suffering
- Lost overall quality of life
However, car accident victims cannot recover twice for the same specific damages through both workers’ comp and a third-party lawsuit. For example, it would not be possible to seek compensation through a lawsuit for medical bills already covered by workers’ comp. In certain situations, plaintiffs pursuing third-party lawsuits after work-related car wrecks may even be required to reimburse their workers’ comp insurer for benefits they previously received, depending on what amount of compensation they receive later through their lawsuit.
A Reno Attorney Can Help After a Work-Related Car Accident
Getting hurt at work under any circumstances can be immensely disruptive to both your professional and personal life, not to mention devastating for your family’s financial security. If you get hurt in a work-related car accident in Reno, you may have difficulty not with just getting the maximum amount of benefits from your employer’s workers’ comp insurance, but potentially with proving you are entitled to workers’ comp benefits in the first place.
From start to finish of your unique claim, you have support available to you from the capable and compassionate workers’ comp lawyers at Shook & Stone. Call today for a free initial consultation.
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