Work-Related Car Accidents

Millions of U.S. workers drive a vehicle each day to get to and from work. A large number of these drivers also drive part or all of the day as part of their jobs. When a car accident occurs and a driver involved in the crash was driving for work, he or she may be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage in Maryland to help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses arising from the accident.

Work-Related Car Accident Statistics

Motor vehicle accidents are the number-one cause of work-related accidents and deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC estimates that 1,309 people die each year in work-related motor vehicle accidents – about 38 percent of the total deaths that occur in workplace accidents each year, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). An additional 316 workers are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents that take place off public highways, such as at worksites. About 347 people die each year when they are walking to fulfill a job-related task and are struck by a motor vehicle.

Costs of Workplace Motor Vehicle Accidents

The cost of motor vehicle accidents to workers is estimated at $60 billion per year, making prevention a major goal among many employers. Often, the injuries caused by a work-related motor vehicle accident are serious, involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other life-altering damage. The CDC estimates that motor vehicle work accidents cost U.S. employers and workers’ compensation insurers $74,000 per accident. If workers’ compensation coverage were not available, this cost would likely be borne by individual workers and their families.

What Are High-Risk Occupations?

Workers who are employed to drive vehicles are at the most risk for a motor vehicle accident, but other workers may also be exposed. In 2009, the CDC estimated that 3.6 million U.S. workers were classified as drivers: their primary job was to drive a vehicle for an employer. Nearly half of these, or about 1.5 million, were drivers of tractor-trailers. Although people who are employed primarily to drive a vehicle are more likely than other workers to need workers’ compensation coverage after a motor vehicle accident injury, they are not the only workers who may receive workers’ compensation if they are injured in a work-related motor vehicle accident.

Who Is Eligible for Workers’ Comp?

In Maryland, a worker injured in a work-related motor vehicle accident – including a pedestrian accident – may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if the accident arose “out of and in the course of” the person’s employment. A worker who is driving on an errand for an employer that is part of the worker’s job description and is during his or her normal work hours is likely to be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage, even if such errands do not occur every day.

Obtaining the Compensation You Need

At Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers, we realize that motor vehicle accidents can cause serious injuries, and we are dedicated to helping injured people receive all the compensation to which they are entitled after a crash – including workers’ compensation benefits if the accident was related to the person’s work.

For more information on your legal rights and options after a work-related car accident, call our skilled Maryland car accident lawyers today at 301-381-2655 for a free and confidential consultation.