Work-Related Motor Vehicle Injuries

Many people in Maryland often learn, erroneously, that work-related motor vehicle accident injuries are not compensable through the Maryland worker’s compensation system. The truth is that injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes while commuting to or from work are not compensable, but there are a wide range of jobs that require employees to drive a vehicle for a living or as one part of their work duties. When an employee is injured in a car or truck accident while doing their work, those injuries can result in workers’ compensation benefits.

What do you need to know about work-related motor vehicle injuries and workers’ compensation in Maryland?

Getting the Facts About Workplace Motor Vehicle Accidents and Safety 

A wide range of workers are at risk of injuries in traffic crashes that may be compensable through the workers’ compensation system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), employees in various jobs can be “at risk of crashes, whether they drive light or heavy vehicles, or whether driving is a main or incidental job duty.” And, as the CDC and NIOSH underscore, in the United States there are “millions of workers” for whom driving or riding in a motor vehicle is part of their work.

Given the high rate of employees who drive or ride in motor vehicles as main or incidental job duties, it should not be entirely surprising to learn that traffic collisions are actually the leading cause of work-related deaths in this country. In fact, the CDC reports that auto injuries are either the first or second “leading cause of death in every major industry group.” Those statistics include single-vehicle crashes, multiple-vehicle crashes, and collisions involving pedestrian workers. In 2022 alone, nearly 1,400 workers were killed while driving or riding in vehicles for work purposes, and more than 500 were killed while performing job duties that required them to be pedestrians.

Types of Jobs Where Auto Accident Injuries Are Common 

As we noted above, auto injury deaths are either the leading, or second-leading, cause of work-related death in every industry in the US. Accordingly, most types of jobs come with some risk of a car or truck injury, even if the employee is only required to drive or travel on occasion. At the same time, some types of jobs pose greater risks of auto accident injuries than others, including but not limited to:

• Delivery drivers;
• Construction workers who drive or work around vehicles;
• Personal assistants who run errands;
• Salespeople who travel as a regular part of their job;
• Ambulance drivers and EMTs;
• Taxicab drivers;
• Long-haul truck drivers;
• Shuttle drivers;
• Driving instructors;
• School bus drivers; and
• Chauffeurs.

Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

 Any worker who was injured in a motor vehicle crash should seek legal advice as soon as possible about their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. Although injuries in car or truck accidents that happen while you are going to or coming from work are not covered, injuries arising out of work-related driving or travel may be compensable. One of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can discuss your case with you today. Contact us for more information about the services we provide to injured workers in Maryland.

Source:

cdc.gov/niosh/motor-vehicle/about/index.html#:~:text=In%202022%3A,pedestrians%20struck%20by%20motor%20vehicles