If you’re on the job and you get injured in a car accident, you’re likely covered by workers’ comp benefits. In some occupations, auto accidents are the main way that workers get hurt. This could include delivery drivers, semi-truck drivers, police officers, road construction crews and many others. Transportation is part of the job and so accidents are one of the risks that they face every day.
But what if you do not actually have to drive for your job? Maybe you just have to commute to the office every morning. If you get involved in an accident during that commute, then should you get workers’ comp benefits? You never would’ve been driving down the road at that time if you weren’t heading to your place of employment, so you may believe that you should be covered.
The going and coming rule
However, you are generally not covered by workers’ comp during your commute. When you are going to work or coming home at the end of the day, that is still considered your personal time. This is true even though you have to commute to get to work. You only qualify for workers’ comp benefits after you clock in.
That said, there are some exceptions. For instance, perhaps your boss asked you to do something specific on your way into work, like dropping a package off at another location or picking something up and bringing it to the office. This can make things complicated because you’re performing work-related duties, so you may be covered even though you were commuting.
An injury case like this can get very complex. Take the time to carefully look into all of your legal options.