Colorado Car and Truck Accidents at Work
Who is responsible for paying after a work-related auto accident?
Being in a car accident is scary in any situation. But there’s an additional layer of stress when you’re involved in a crash while driving for your job. You might be scared of what your boss will do and say. Will you get fired? Can you get workers’ compensation, even if the collision was your fault?
This is why you need legal advice. If you’re seriously injured or there are extenuating circumstances, an accident lawyer will have valuable knowledge to aid you. Don’t depend on your employer or insurance company to act in your best interests; take the first step by contacting a workers’ compensation attorney who specializes in car and truck crash cases immediately.
What Coloradoans don’t know after such an accident could wind up costing them.
Workers’ compensation for work-related auto accidents
Colorado workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that pays for an employee’s medical expenses and lost wages as a result of a job-related injury or illness, regardless of who was responsible for the accident. But before you can qualify for benefits, your attorney has to prove that you were injured while working for your employer and in the course of doing your job.
The process of properly filing a worker’s compensation claim is complex, and both insurers and employers often try to minimize a worker’s injuries in order to minimize their payout — at the expense of the injured worker.
Our Colorado workers’ compensation attorneys know the rules and regulations surrounding workers’ compensation claims in this state. Our attorneys have decades of experience and can represent you in an administrative hearing before a Department of Labor judge to get you the benefits you deserve.
Personal injury (third-party) lawsuits for a car accident at work
In addition to a workers’ compensation claim, you may also be able to bring a third-party claim under an automobile policy after being injured in a car accident at work. Unlike workers’ compensation cases, determining fault in a third-party claim is an important and necessary part of the process. So if you decide to file a third-party lawsuit in addition to a workers’ compensation claim, then you’ll certainly need the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you prove liability.
Sometimes, liability is not clear. Perhaps both you and the other driver are equally to blame for the accident. In that case, can you still recover? Colorado is a comparative fault state, which means that you can still recover under the third-party claim, but damages are calculated based on the negligence of every party directly involved in the accident.
Employer liability for a work-related car or truck accident
What about an employer? Can they be held partially responsible for a truck or car crash?
Sometimes.
For instance, a commercial trucking company can be liable for accidents caused by a truck driver’s negligent or reckless acts through the laws of negligent entrustment, imputed negligence, and strict liability. These laws hold the employer responsible for the behavior of their driver and in circumstances where equipment is improperly maintained or defective. Truck accidents are particularly complicated. Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the US Department of Transportation, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration all govern commercial truck drivers and commercial shipping companies. To go up against a trucking company, you need an experienced truck accident attorney in Denver who knows how to prove that the trucking company should pay for your injuries and damages.
Contact an experienced Colorado work injury law firm
As you can tell, work-related car or truck accidents are more complex than other types of cases. For starters, injured workers may have to go up against their employer and multiple insurance companies—not to mention the other driver. It can sometimes be difficult for workers to know whether they should file a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party claim with a motor vehicle insurer, or both.
If you’ve recently been injured in a crash or collision, contact our team of experienced Denver personal injury attorneys to schedule your free initial consultation. We help accident victims throughout the state of Colorado get the best possible compensation for work-related car and truck accidents.
