Your Right to Recover Compensation If You’re Injured in a Car Accident While Working
In New Jersey, as in all states, if you suffer an injury during the course of your employment, you have a right to seek workers’ compensation benefits for lost wages and reasonable and necessary medical expenses. What if you are hurt in a motor vehicle accident during business hours? Is that type of accident always covered by workers’ compensation? Are you limited to the benefits you can collect through workers’ compensation?
New Jersey’s Workers’ Compensation Laws
There are only two requirements to qualify for workers’ comp benefits in New Jersey—you must be hurt, and your injury must be “work-related.” Injuries suffered in automobile accidents are generally covered, provided you can show that you were in the course of your employment when the accident occurred:
- Injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents on your commute are usually not covered, unless you made a detour from your normal route to conduct some work-related business, or you were traveling directly to a client’s office from home.
- Injuries suffered when you leave the premises of your employer during a shift are generally not covered, either, unless you are engaged in activities related to your job—going to the post office for work, picking up lunch at the request of a supervisor, or picking up work supplies, for example.
Filing a Third-Party Lawsuit
Workers’ compensation is intended to provide benefits in the event of negligence by your employer or a co-worker. If your injuries are caused by an unrelated third party, you also can seek damages in a personal injury lawsuit in court. In fact, you may file a workers’ comp claim simultaneously with a civil lawsuit for personal injury.
Contact Howard D. Popper, P.C.
At Howard D. Popper, P.C., we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after a work-related motor vehicle accident, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton. Currently, all our client communications are by phone, text message, or videoconference.
We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent-fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.