Depending on the circumstances, an employer may or may not be responsible for a car accident involving an employee. If this happened to you, you might want to seek help from an Arizona lawyer who specilizes in car accidents.
Your employer is usually only liable for accidents while you actively participate in work-related activities and are on the clock. Your employer may be liable for damages to your automobile if you were involved in an accident while driving:
- A delivery vehicle that you use exclusively for business-related deliveries.
- A rental vehicle for a business journey to another city
- A company automobile at any particular time or place
Liability for Damage from one Off-site Work Location to Another
In most cases, your boss will not be liable for accident-related vehicle damage. In the following instances, you may be liable for your repair expenses:
- You were driving for purposes unconnected to work when you were involved in an accident.
- You were driving under the influence of alcohol or engaged in another action that violates your employer’s policies when you were involved in an accident.
- At the time of the collision, you were driving for business purposes but had deviated from your intended route to perform a personal errand.
Who Else May Be Responsible for an On-the-Job Car Accident?
One or more parties other than your boss may be held liable for a car accident that takes place while you are on the job, such as:
- Other road users – If the accident was caused by the actions of another road user, such as an automobile driver or pedestrian, they may be held liable.
- Vehicle manufacturers – A vehicle manufacturer could be liable if a mechanical failure caused by a defective product design contributed to the accident.
- You might also be capable of holding a mechanic or repair shop liable if it failed to properly examine or remedy the defective auto parts that caused the accident.
- Local authorities – A local government agency may be liable if poor road conditions or missing road signs cause the disaster.
What if I am a Self-employed Contractor?
You are effectively self-employed if you are an independent contractor. Even if you were being paid to perform work at the time of the accident, your employer is not liable for any damage to your vehicle.
Nevertheless, you might hold a client or other party liable for collision damage if they contributed somehow to the collision. You may also seek compensation from a negligent property owner if the accident occurred on their property.