Car Accident at Work – A Guide to Claiming Compensation

If you’ve been injured in a car accident at work, you might be entitled to claim compensation for any injuries including whiplash, broken bones and soft tissue injuries. This guide sets out when car accident at work claims might be possible and the types of incidents that can lead to them. Whether you’ve been involved in an accident caused by your employer’s or another road user’s negligence, we’ll explore when you could claim compensation for a work-related car accident.

We’re here to help if you do decide to claim. Our specialist advisors can review your case on a no-obligation basis, explain your options and answer any questions you might have. If they believe your car accident entitles you to start an accident at work claim, they could connect you with one of our solicitors. Crucially, they’ll act on a No Win, No Fee basis for any car accident at work compensation claim they take on.

Please get in touch to discuss your case by:

• Calling our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519.
• Using our online chat service at any time of night or day.

You’ll find lots of useful information about work-related road traffic accident claims within this guide but please do feel free to contact us if you have any questions along the way.

What Types of Injuries From a Car Accident at Work Can We Help With?

A sample of the different types of personal injuries from a car accident at work we can help claim compensation for include:

• Spinal cord injuries.
• Neck and shoulder injuries including whiplash.
• Head injuries including concussions.
• Soft tissue injuries.
• Cuts and lacerations.
• Severe bruising and internal bleeding.
• Broken and fractured bones.

Even if your injury is not described in this list, please feel free to contact us for a free assessment of your car accident at work claim.

Can I Make a Car Accident at Work Claim?

You might have grounds to claim compensation if you’re involved in a car accident at work if:

• The defendant in your claim owed you a duty of care; and
• Their negligence caused you to be involved in a car accident in the last three years; and
• You sustained injuries in the accident.

Laws like the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 normally make it fairly easy to prove that you were owed a duty of care following a car accident at work. Therefore, you should concentrate on proving who caused your accident and how you were injured if you’re to be awarded compensation for your suffering.

To check whether your case meets the eligibility criteria for personal injury claims, please feel free to speak with us now.

What Types of Negligence Can Lead to a Car Accident at Work Claim?

Here are a few examples of the types of car accidents at work that could enable you to claim compensation:

• Where the brakes on a poorly maintained work car caused you to crash into a wall and suffer a serious concussion.
• If you were injured in a car accident because your employer forced you to drive while tired.
• If a faulty steering mechanism in a company vehicle led to a loss of control and a collision, resulting in multiple injuries.
• Where you were hit by another vehicle while driving because its driver was distracted by their mobile phone.
• If you were hit by a car in the company’s car park and suffered broken bones because the 5mph speed limit was not enforced.
• If you were asked to drive a car that was overloaded causing it to become unstable resulting in an accident.

We haven’t listed every possible scenario here but so long as your employer or someone else’s negligence has caused your car accident, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

Examples of negligence that could lead to workplace car accidents include a lack of vehicle inspections, poor maintenance procedures, insufficient training or being provided with a car that’s not suitable for the job amongst other things. If you’d like to know more, please call our legal advisors now.

What Should I Do If I’m Injured in a Car Crash at Work?

If you’re involved in a work-related car crash, you should:

• Stop at the scene of the accident and swap details with any other road users.
• Take photographs of the accident scene ideally before vehicles are moved.
• Secure dashcam footage from your vehicle if one is fitted.
• Report the incident to the police if there are any serious injuries or you’re blocking the road.
• Visit A&E or your GP to have any injuries diagnosed and treated correctly.
• Tell your employer about the accident as soon as you can.
• Ensure the incident is logged in the accident report book.

These steps can help when it comes to investigating how the accident happened. They could also provide you with evidence to help support any subsequent car accident at work claim.

What Evidence Can Be Used for Car Accident at Work Claims?

If you’re injured in a car accident at work, you will need evidence to strengthen your case if you decide to claim compensation. Some examples of the types of evidence you’ll normally need include:

• Details of any witnesses in case statements are required.
• Copies of any CCTV or dashcam footage of your accident.
• Details of all vehicles involved in the accident and their driver’s personal details.
• Medical records to confirm any injuries you are claiming.
• Photographs of the accident scene including the accident scene layout and any vehicle damage.
• Copies of an accident report form from your employer.

If you would like to find out if you have enough evidence to claim for a works car accident, call us now

How Long Do I Have to Claim Car Accident Compensation?

As with other types of work accident claims, you’ll have 3 years to claim compensation for a car accident at work. This is a requirement of the Limitation Act 1980 and the 3 years begin from the date of your accident.

One exception to this rule is if the injured party lacks mental capacity. In this scenario, there is effectively no time limit and someone else could claim on behalf of the claimant.

For instance, if a loved one suffered a brain injury from a car accident at work, you could act as their litigation friend to help them claim. You could do this at any point without being tied down to the 3-year limitation period. Please get in touch to find out more.

How Much Compensation for a Car Accident at Work?

If you win a car accident at work claim, you’ll receive a compensation payout. This will normally consist of two heads of loss.

General damages is the first and it provides compensation for your injuries and the pain and suffering they cause. As such, your solicitor will gather medical evidence (including an independent medical assessment) before checking settlement brackets listed in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).

The second head of loss, special damages, aims to recoup any financial losses linked to your injuries. For instance, if you win a work-related car accident compensation claim, your settlement could cover:

• The cost of a carer at home.
• Medical treatment and rehabilitation costs.
• The cost of modifying your home if your car accident has caused permanent disabilities.
• Travel expenses.
• Lost income and also future loss of earnings (for more serious injuries).

If you decide to work with us and a solicitor accepts your claim, they will work hard to get a complete understanding of your suffering to ensure that all aspects are included in any settlement you receive.

Can I Claim If I Was Injured in My Own Car Whilst Working?

If you were injured whilst using your own car for work purposes, it may still be possible to seek compensation for an accident caused by someone else’s negligence (rather than claiming through your own insurance policy).

Generally, if the accident was caused by another road user through speeding, dangerous driving, drink-driving or other forms of negligence, your claim would be directed at them or their motor insurers.

If your employer instructed you to use your own vehicle for an essential part of your job role, you may have grounds to claim against them for any accidents that occur. This can be a challenging type of claim so we’d suggest that you contact our legal advisors to assess your options before proceeding with legal action.

Can I Be Sacked for Claiming Compensation for a Car Accident at Work?

If you are involved in a car accident at work, your employer may follow their disciplinary procedures if the accident was your fault (if you caused the accident by speeding for example).

However, it’s important to point out that you cannot face action for making a personal injury claim if you’ve sustained genuine injuries as a result of your accident. This would be illegal as you’re well within your rights to seek compensation for injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.

Will I Need a Solicitor for a Car Accident Claim?

Whether you’re claiming against your employer following a workplace car accident or another road user, you will probably end up dealing with an insurance provider. They might contest the car accident claim or try to reduce the amount of compensation you’re paid if your claim is successful.

Therefore, you may wish to engage a specialist solicitor to help you. If you work with one of ours, your case will be managed from start to finish so you won’t need to deal with the insurer or your employer directly. Your solicitor’s experience, training and legal skills should make the claims process much smoother than normal and they could negotiate a higher settlement than you might otherwise expect.

What’s more, our solicitors provide No Win, No Fee car accident at work claims for any case they accept.

This means that after you’ve signed a Conditional Fee Agreement, work on your case can begin without your solicitor being paid upfront.

In fact, you’ll only pay for your solicitor’s efforts if you are paid compensation for your suffering. Should that happen, a percentage of your settlement will be deducted as a success fee.

How Long Can Car Accident at Work Claims Take?

The duration of any type of road traffic accident claim can vary depending on a number of factors.

In straightforward cases where only minor injuries were suffered and liability for the accident is clear, you could receive compensation for a car accident at work in around 3 to 6 months.

Where the claim is more in-depth, you might need to wait for up to a year or more for the claim to be settled. This might be the case if you’ve suffered a life-changing injury such as paralysis or an amputation. In these circumstances, extra time may be needed to help ascertain exactly how you’ll suffer in the future. Crucially, if liability is proven early in the claims process, you could receive interim compensation payments to help you cope financially while the claim is still being processed.

Contacting Us About a Car Accident at Work Claim

If you’ve read this guide and decided you’d like to claim compensation for a work-related car accident, please get in touch now. You can do so by:

• Calling our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519 to talk over your options.
• Using our live chat service to connect with a specialist advisor.

We’ll provide free advice about how to proceed with a claim if your case is feasible. While there’s no obligation or pressure on you to proceed, any car accident at work claims accepted by our specialist solicitors are handled on a No Win, No Fee basis.