A crash may qualify as work-related when it happens during a delivery, a trip between job sites, a client visit, or another employer-directed errand. Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law has represented injured workers and accident victims in St. Louis, Missouri, for more than 30 years. Mark Cordes has handled Missouri and Illinois workers’ compensation matters since 1993, while Dan Brown concentrates on personal injury and workplace cases. Our team can determine whether a work-related car accident claim involves job-injury benefits, a case against another party, or both.
What Makes a Car Accident Work-Related?
Coverage often depends on what you were doing when the collision occurred. Driving between work locations or completing an assigned task may qualify, even when you use your personal vehicle.
An ordinary commute usually raises different questions. The same is true when an employee makes a substantial personal detour. Details such as the destination, purpose of the trip, employer instructions, and time of the crash can help establish whether the employee was carrying out job duties.
Can You File a Lawsuit Against Your Employer?
In most covered cases, Missouri workers’ compensation replaces a negligence lawsuit against the employer. The system generally provides benefits without requiring you to prove that the company caused the wreck. Available support can include authorized medical care and partial wage replacement.
The distinction between workers’ compensation and personal injury matters because the two systems cover different losses. Workplace benefits do not typically include pain and suffering.
When Can You Pursue a Third-Party Case?
A separate personal injury lawsuit may be possible when someone outside the employment relationship contributed to the collision. Potentially responsible parties include:
- Another driver who violated a traffic law
- A manufacturer that supplied a defective vehicle component
- A repair shop or maintenance company that performed unsafe work
Missouri law allows an injured employee to pursue a responsible third party while also receiving workers’ compensation. That lawsuit can address damages unavailable through workplace coverage, including pain and suffering and additional lost earnings.
Why Do the Two Cases Need to Be Coordinated?
A workers’ compensation carrier may have a right to reimbursement from money recovered through the third-party lawsuit. Legal fees, case expenses, comparative fault, and benefits already paid can affect how the proceeds are divided.
This overlap is one reason to speak with a workers’ compensation attorney before resolving either matter. Questions about income lost during recovery can also differ between the two systems.
Protect Your Options After a Job-Related Collision
Report the accident promptly, seek medical attention, and preserve photographs, witness details, work instructions, insurance letters, and the police report. Do not sign a release until you understand how it could affect each case. Different options may apply when an employer lacks required workers’ compensation insurance.
Discuss Both Potential Cases With Our Attorneys
A work-related collision can involve several insurers, reimbursement rights, and different categories of compensation. For a free case review with Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law in St. Louis, Missouri, call 314-333-3333 or contact us. We can identify which avenues apply and help prevent one resolution from unintentionally affecting the other.
