Motor vehicle accidents can present major issues for employers

Motor vehicle accidents affect thousands of people in Australia every year, unfortunately. In many cases, the motorists involved are on their own to sort out the messy aftermath and deal with the consequences – but often, it’s the employer’s job to get involved.

Consider this: According to WorkSafe Victoria, almost 30 per cent of all vehicles registered in Australia are for business purposes. Additionally, over 50 per cent are purchased initially for commercial use. This means that when car accidents happen, a great many of them are issues that employers have to deal with. This means clear documentation and, potentially, doling out money for compensation.

Is the employer at fault?

When motor vehicle accidents afflict your employees, the impact can be quite serious. For example, according to the Illawarra Mercury, a man at a Kembla Grange worksite was injured when his legs were pinned between two steel beams by a truck that was being unloaded using a crane.

Norm Rees, duty operations manager for Ambulance NSW Illawarra, told the news source that the beams had not sufficiently been held in place.

“The patient was on the back of the truck, undoing the restraints on the beams to be unloaded,” Mr Rees explained. “The [beam] slipped and pinned him against the others by the legs.”

It was an ugly incident, and one that could have been avoided if the man’s employer had taken the care to better protect the beams from falling. In situations like this, companies are often partially responsible for their people being injured.

Companies need to take action

Any business that neglects the serious threat of motor vehicle-related injuries in the workplace is making a big mistake. WorkSafe Victoria reported that out of all work fatalities in Australia, 41 per cent involve vehicles. That’s not even counting the numerous other situations that are nonfatal but still serious.

Smart companies know to take preventive steps to curb workplace injuries – and when said injuries do happen, they also have comprehensive plans in place to file the appropriate paperwork and handle the matter responsibly.

Evaluate your case with Marshall & Gibson Compensation Lawyers

There are numerous situations in which companies can be held responsible for their employees being injured by vehicles. It’s not just when they’re driving, either – passengers and pedestrians might also have viable cases to demand compensation.

Those who do suffer these injuries may be entitled to money for their pain and suffering, time off work, lost superannuation funds and more. At Marshall & Gibson, we have a capable team of lawyers who are able to figure all of these details out.

Call us today on 1800 675 417 or send us an email for your free, no obligation case evaluation by one of our expert compensation lawyers.