Auto accidents can be very expensive for everyone involved, which is why it is so important for those hurt in a collision to contact a Miami injury lawyer.
Unfortunately, it is not just individual motorists who can face losses because of collisions. A 2018 Driver Risk Safety Report prepared by Motus, a workforce management software company, found that a substantial number of motor vehicle accidents are classified as work-related crashes. This can result in employers facing significant cost, to the tune of $56.7 billion in the 2017 year.
Auto Accidents Cost Employers An Estimated $56.7 Billion
According to the 2018 Driver Safety Risk Report, around 40 percent of motor vehicle accidents that occur are work-related crashes. There are a record high number of overall auto accidents occurring on U.S. roads, so more and more employees are becoming involved in crashes that occur while they are at work.
The consequences associated with a work-related accident can vary depending upon the situation. Employers could face higher insurance premiums if the employee was driving a company vehicle at the time of the incident and could also experience lost productivity if the employee must take time off of work to recover for the accident.
An employee injured on the job could potentially be eligible to make a workers' compensation claim if the accident was work related, which can result in additional costs for employers such as higher premiums for a workers' compensation policy. And, employees who cause accidents to occur and who hurt others could be found to have been acting on their employer's behalf if the incident occurred while the worker was performing work duties – which could potentially result in an employer becoming liable for harm resulting from a collision caused by a negligent on-duty employee.
Because the cost to an employer can be very high – especially if the injured worker makes a workers' compensation claim, there are many companies aiming to develop driver safety platforms for businesses. These could include risk assessment tools, driver safety training, and technologies that incorporate sensors onto smartphones or vehicles to make sure employees are not engaging in dangerous distracted driving while operating work vehicles.
Of course, those who are actually involved in a workplace auto accident also face significant costs as well, including medical expenditures for collision treatment, loss of wages or other benefits if they can't work for a time period after a crash, and pain and suffering they endure. The costs can be very high for individual crash victims who need to make sure they understand whether their best options for getting benefits and compensation involve workers' compensation claims or auto accident injury claims.
If you or someone you love is hurt in an accident while at work or are harmed by a driver who is in a work vehicle at the time of the accident, you need to be represented by a Miami injury lawyer who understands these complex cases. Contact an attorney today to find out about your options for recovering compensation for losses.
