Millions of motorists travel for work every day. Several occupations require drivers, including bus drivers, federal agents, federal agents, truck drivers, and delivery persons. In addition to the driver’s liability, a corporation the driver was working for at the time of the accident may also be held vicariously liable in an accident involving an on-the-job driver or company vehicle. In certain circumstances, the driver and/or victims may be compensated for their damages under the company’s auto insurance policy.
Insurance claims on companies cars
Employees often drive company cars, both on the job and after they have clocked out. Construction workers, HVAC industry employees, law enforcement officers and businesspeople routinely operate company-owned vehicles. If a business lends employees company cars, it should purchase enough automobile insurance to fully cover the vehicles and drivers while on the job. The minimum amounts of insurance in Colorado are $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 in property damage liability.
Commercial auto insurance versus standard car insurance coverage
To cover on-duty drivers and company vehicles, the business needs either obtain commercial auto insurance coverage or at the very least hire/non-owned insurance. Compared to normal insurance, commercial policies often provide more coverage, but they are more expensive to buy. If the driver was not on duty when the collision occurred, commercial insurance policies frequently do not pay for the associated losses. The company’s insurance policy might not cover any losses if the driver was using the car for personal reasons when it was not being used for business. The individual driver may be liable for damages while operating a company vehicle for non-business purposes.
Personal auto insurance policies
Many private auto insurance policies expressly exclude coverage for incidents that occur while the driver is using the car for work-related purposes. The majority of motorists believe that their personal insurance policy will cover accidents, however this is not the case unless the motorist purchases extended non-owned automobile coverage. Fortunately, most damage claims are covered by business auto insurance. A car accident lawyer in Denver may be able to assist you determine which policy would pay for medical expenses, property damage repairs, and lost wages following an accident involving a business vehicle.
Employer Vicarious Liability for Car Accidents
The majority of the time, the company’s auto insurance will pay for the damages in work-related car accidents. Yet, the at-fault driver can be required to pay if the insurance policy does not cover the individual accident. If an employee caused an automobile accident and was not engaged in work-related activities at the time, they may be personally liable for the victims’ damages. Also, if the corporate automobile is damaged, the employee might have to pay the firm back. If the driver was working when the accident occurred, the company can be held vicariously liable for the driver’s carelessness or recklessness.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Employee Negligence in an Accident
Victims of a collision caused by an employee’s negligence may be able to sue the corporation for their injuries outside of the insurance system. After major auto accidents, survivors are able to file lawsuits against at-fault drivers, businesses, and other parties because to Colorado’s at-fault insurance regulations. In Colorado, as long as the driver was using the vehicle for business reasons at the time of the crash, employers are virtually always held vicariously liable for the negligence of their on-duty drivers.
If a firm is sued, as opposed to a specific driver, there may be a better chance of winning fair compensation. Typically, a business will have better damage insurance. Punitive damages as well as pain and suffering compensation may be awarded in a personal injury claim. However, if the driver was not on duty when the accident occurred, the victim’s only option for compensation might be the driver’s insurance policy.
An injury lawyer might be able to provide aid in determining fault and liability for a collision involving a corporate vehicle or a driver who was on duty. A thorough investigation of the incident may show who was at fault for the collision—the motorist, the business, or someone else. In Denver, victims of serious or catastrophic injury cases involving business vehicles may need the help of a car accident attorney.
