Working Woes: What to Do If You Have a Car Accident in a Company Vehicle

There are so many advantages that come along with driving a company car.

For starters, most company cars are very nice cars that people might not otherwise buy for themselves. They’re also cars that are often maintained by the company that owns them as opposed to the employee driving them.

And when it’s time to upgrade a company car? An employee isn’t the one who needs to worry about doing it.

But there is one drawback to driving around in a company car: If you’re ever in a car accident in a company vehicle, figuring out who is responsible for any damages can be confusing.

In a perfect world, you won’t ever be involved in a car accident in a company vehicle. But just in case you ever are, you should take the right steps.

Here is what you should do.

Stay on the Scene and Call the Police

You should stay on the scene of any car accident that you’re ever involved in. You could get yourself into big trouble if police find out that you left the scene of a car crash before they arrived.

But you should be extra careful about sticking around if you’re ever involved in a car accident in a company vehicle. You could jeopardize your job if you decide to drive off after an accident without filing a proper police report about it.

As long as you’re not too injured to do it, you should call the police right after you get into an accident so that they can come out to the scene as quickly as possible. This will allow them to seek medical treatment for anyone who needs it—and put them in a position to take a report about what happened during the accident.

When the police arrive, take the time to talk to them about what occurred. But do not accept any blame for the accident or else you could be the one found liable for it later.

Contact Your Employer About the Accident

In addition to calling the police and telling them about your accident, you may also want to touch base with your employer to let them know what happened.

They’ll want to know that you’re OK. They’ll also want to make the proper arrangements if your accident is going to interfere with a delivery you were making or with a client meeting you were planning to attend.

Additionally, your employer should be able to provide you with any insurance information that you need on the spot. You should be familiar with your auto insurance policy prior to taking the wheel of a company car. But if you have any questions about it, you can ask your employer to provide it for you.

Reach out to the Insurer of the Company Car

Your employer will likely ask you to contact the auto insurance company that they use. You should have an auto insurance card in your company car with their phone number on it.

Give your company’s auto insurance company a call and speak with them about the accident you were involved in. They’ll want to get statements from other drivers involved in the accident, too, as well as a copy of the police report.

The auto insurance company will also set out to get your company car looked at so that they can see what kind of condition it’s in. They’ll be able to gauge what kind of damage was done and what will have to happen to fix it after checking out your company car.

Figure out If You Could Be Responsible for the Accident

Once your company’s auto insurance provider has done all their homework, they’ll let you know if you’re going to be responsible for any damages done to the company car you were driving during your accident.

This will all depend on:

• What kind of auto insurance policy your company has in place
• Whether or not you were found liable for the accident that occurred
• How much your auto insurance company has agreed to pay for the damages

The auto insurance company could tell you that you don’t owe a single cent, in which case you won’t have to worry about doing anything else. Or they could tell you that you owe hundreds or even thousands of dollars stemming from the accident.

This will determine what you need to do next.

Get in Touch With a Car Accident Attorney

Working your way through the aftermath of a car accident in a company car can be a daunting process. It can be extra daunting if you find out that you might owe money following the accident.

If this turns out to be the case, you’re going to want to have a lawyer on your side. Specifically, you’re going to want to have a car accident attorney who understands the ins and outs of accidents that take place in company cars.

They can work with your employer and their auto insurance company to hammer out the details. With any luck, you should be able to get out of paying anything and get back to business as usual within just a few weeks.

Just make sure you hire a car accident lawyer with lots of experience and a good track record for helping out those in your community.

Make the Right Moves After a Car Accident in a Company Vehicle

Were you just involved in a car accident in a company vehicle?

You might be scared and confused about which actions to take. It can be overwhelming for the average person to figure out what they’re supposed to do when an accident wreaks havoc on their life.

Follow the steps listed here to get the most favorable outcome. And if you ever feel like you’re in over your head, let a lawyer help you by calling on them for their services.

Want to learn about some of the other ways a car accident lawyer can help you? Read our blog to find out more about what they can do.