Workers’ comp available for workers injured in car accidents

Car accidents remain a risk for everyone driving in Pennsylvania, regardless of if they are driving during work or not. However, a new report shows that more employees are filing workers’ compensation claims after being in a workplace accident.

The report found that workers involved in car accidents are more likely to suffer more severe injuries and multiple workers are more likely to be involved in the accident since many occupations have workers travel together.

When multiple workers are injured in a car accident, they both have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim for their injuries. The fact that more workers are filing claims after being involved in a car accident should be a concern to many employers about how to provide proper safety training to their employees before they go out on the road.

The report found that workers’ compensation claims involving car accidents had a longer duration compared to other claims. The report said that two years after the date of the accident and injury, only 78 percent of car accident workers’ compensation claims were closed, compared to 91 percent of all other claims.

This most likely means that workers injured in car accidents have significant injuries that take longer to heal or that require medical treatment for a while after the accident happened. This should be a concern for injured workers and their employer.

Employers need to make sure they are providing their workers with the appropriate training necessary to drive safely while working. Workers should also be aware of the risks of being injured in a car accident and what rights they have to seek compensation if they are involved in a workplace accident.

Workers who have been injured in a car accident while working should consult a workers’ compensation attorney to discuss their specific case as well as understand the process of filing a workers’ compensation claim.

Source: Risk & Insurance, “NCCI: Traffic accidents in WC add up to more lost time, severe, expensive,” Feb. 18, 2013