You might have been injured during your commute either to or from work and now you wonder whether or not you are eligible for worker's compensation. For the most part, many states don't allow you to receive worker's compensation if you were commuting because it's not considered part of the working day as a whole.
There are certain exceptions, however to this. You just might be able to receive worker's compensation if you were injured during very specific circumstances. Here are just a few instances in which you could claim worker's compensation while commuting.
You Were Performing An Errand For Your Boss
One of the exceptions in which you could claim worker's compensation if you were injured on your commute to work is if your boss or supervisor asked you to do an errand on your way to work. If you were asked to pick something up or drop off a package that is work-related by a supervisor and you were in an accident it could be possible to claim for benefits.
You Travel For Work
If your job requires you to travel for work you most likely will be able to receive worker's compensation benefits if you are injured while commuting. It doesn't matter how often you travel for work, as long as you were injured while you were traveling during work, you should be eligible for compensation if you were in an accident and were injured.
It's also possible that you could receive worker's compensation if you receive funds for your travel expenses to and from work. Some companies offer funds to pay for gas or car maintenance if you have a long commute to work and it's possible that you could receive benefits if you are injured while driving to or from work.
You Don't Stay In One Place For Work
You might have a job where you don't have one set place where you work. You might be a contractor who travels to different construction sites or homes to complete work. You might be a technician or another specialist who has no set place to do your work. If you are in an accident while heading to an appointment you most likely will be eligible to receive worker's compensation.
You Use The Company Car
In many companies, employees are able to use the company car to commute to meetings, job sites, or even to take them to pick up their work vehicle from the main office building to the garage where their truck or bus is located. You might have use of the company car even during your off-hours. If you are able to use a company car to commute to work every day, you could be eligible for worker's compensation.
The same is true if you are commuting between job sites in a company vehicle. You can claim worker's compensation if you were injured while driving or riding in a company car as long your drive is work related. Contact a workers compensation attorney to get proper legal guidance.
