While many people in Cleveland work at a fixed location — an office, store, factory, warehouse, etc. — others do not. Delivery driver, trucker, handyman and many other jobs require you to spend a lot of your workday in your vehicle, driving from place to place.
Spending so much time on the road inevitably raises the risk that you will get into a car accident. A bad crash can cause serious injuries that must heal before you can go back to work. Still, a car crash might seem like a different type of injury than, say, falling off scaffolding at a construction site. Can you get workers’ compensation in Ohio for injuries sustained in an auto accident?
The course of your work duties
The standard for qualifying for workers’ comp does not mention where the injury took place, such as a fixed work site with close managerial supervision. In Ohio, you have the right to workers’ compensation if you sustain a work-related injury. You have a valid claim as long as you were in the course of your work duties when the injury happened.
For example, getting into a car accident while commuting to work is likely not a compensable injury. But if you are a commercial truck driver involved in a crash while on a delivery, you were injured in the course of your work duties. Depending on the nature and severity of your injuries, you have a good chance of getting approved for substantial workers’ comp benefits.
Claims are not always treated fairly
Unfortunately, just because you have a legitimate claim for workers’ comp does not mean your employer (and their insurance company) will approve your claim. If your claim has been rejected, or you received an unfairly low settlement offer, you have the right to appeal and seek a just outcome.