Employee Injuries

Arizona Injury Lawyers for Employee Injuries Caused by Third Parties

For many people, driving is a part of the job. If you are injured by a negligent or reckless driver while driving for work, your employer's workers' compensation coverage may be able to pay all or part of your medical expenses, even if your employer is not at fault. This is an employee insurance benefit that many employees do not know is available to them for auto accidents that occur on the job.

At Solomon and Relihan, we have more than 30 years of experience helping accident victims and we can help you navigate the confusing interplay of workers' comp and third-party liability, uninsured (UM), and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverages to help you coordinate your benefits to obtain the best outcome possible.

Workers' Compensation in Car Accidents

For some people, such as truck drivers and delivery people, driving is their primary activity, but many others drive at least occasionally for work. Some common work job-related driving activities include:

• Making deliveries
• Picking up supplies
• Transporting and meeting clients
• Traveling between jobsites

Many people believe that workers' comp can only be claimed when the employer is at fault, but this is not true. Workers' compensation offers coverage benefits if an employee is injured or killed by any type of accident arising out of and in the course of employment (unless the injury was purposely self-inflicted or caused by the employee's use of drugs or alcohol). Thus, injuries you suffer in a motor vehicle accident while on the job are covered by workers' comp. If the accident was caused by a third party, such as another driver, you can claim workers' comp benefits and assert a claim against the other driver's liability coverage at the same time.

Claiming Workers' Compensation in a Car Accident

For any workers' comp claim, especially those involving an auto accident, it is important that you report the accident and your injuries to your Human Resources representative right away. If the accident was caused by a third party, you should also immediately contact a skilled personal injury attorney to help you investigate and document your claim thoroughly.

Workers' Compensation and Settlements

Although workers' comp can provide you immediate relief for lost wages and medical expenses, it does not provide full compensation for your pain and suffering and some other types of damages. To receive full compensation, you need to pursue a claim or lawsuit against the driver who was at fault. While the workers' comp benefits you received will need to be paid back out of your settlement or judgment from the at-fault driver, injured employees who make both worker's comp and auto insurance coverage claims often find themselves in a better position than employees who pursue only one type of claim.

Contact Solomon & Relihan, Arizona Auto Accident Attorneys

Workers' compensation can provide financial relief faster than an auto insurance settlement or court judgment, but it does not provide full compensation for all your expenses and other damages. That is why you need an experienced attorney to help you with the process. For a free initial consultation with a lawyer about your accident, contact our Phoenix law firm by e-mail or by telephone. For your convenience, home and hospital visits are available upon request.