When the Workday Turns into a Crash Scene
A crash on the job can put your paycheck, medical care, and future at risk in seconds. Work-related vehicle accidents are also one of the deadliest workplace hazards: OSHA reports that transportation incidents account for about 39% of all occupational fatalities, and NIOSH says motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.
Attorney John J. Sheehan has fought for injured workers and accident victims throughout Massachusetts since 1993. He knows how workers’ comp and auto insurance companies try to shift blame, delay the payment of benefits, and undervalue serious crash injuries. His job is to identify every available claim and fight for the full recovery you are owed.
Types of Work-Related Vehicle Accidents We Handle
A crash on the job can involve both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate injury claim against the driver, company, or contractor that caused the accident. Massachusetts workers’ compensation law may cover injuries that arise out of and in the course of employment, including certain street-related risks when the worker is acting with the employer’s authorization.
Common work-related vehicle accident cases include:
- Delivery driver crashes during route stops
- Company car accidents
- Personal vehicle crashes during work errands
- Construction workers hit by trucks, loaders, dump trucks, or forklifts
- Employees injured while traveling between job sites
- Road work and utility workers struck by passing traffic
- Warehouse and loading dock vehicle accidents
- Workers injured as passengers during work travel
- Commercial truck, van, bus, and delivery vehicle accidents
- Parking lot crashes during loading, unloading, or work assignments
- Rideshare, taxi, courier, and service vehicle accidents
- Fatal work-related vehicle crashes
A regular commute is usually treated differently from a crash that happens during a work task. If your employer sent you somewhere, approved the trip, or benefited from the travel, your case may qualify as a work-related vehicle accident.
If another driver caused the crash, you may also have an auto accident claim in addition to your work injury claim.
Why Vehicle Accidents While Working Are Different
A workplace crash is rarely just one insurance claim. Several insurers may be involved, and each one may try to shift blame.
Your case may involve:
- Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer
- The at-fault driver’s auto insurance
- A commercial vehicle insurance policy
- A contractor, subcontractor, or property owner
- A vehicle owner separate from the driver
- A maintenance company
- A defective vehicle or equipment manufacturer
This matters because workers' compensation does not pay for everything. It may cover medical care and partial wage replacement, but it does not pay anything for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced. A third-party injury claim may allow you to recover far more compensation.
Your Rights Regardless of Immigration Status in Boston
If you were injured in a vehicle accident while working in Massachusetts, you have rights regardless of your immigration status. This includes undocumented workers, Spanish-speaking workers, and workers paid in cash.
You may have the right to:
- File a workers’ compensation claim
- Get medical treatment for your work-related injuries
- Receive disability checks if you cannot work
- Bring a claim against a negligent driver or company
- Speak with a lawyer confidentially
- Seek compensation without employer intimidation
When you contact us, you’ll communicate directly with our experienced lawyers. We’ll have a free, confidential initial discussion so you can describe the circumstances of your trip, the details of the crash, and the extent of your injuries. This ensures that no critical information is misinterpreted by an intermediary, receptionist, or inexperienced staff.
Speak with a Lawyer Who Speaks Your Language
Attorney John J. Sheehan speaks Spanish personally and represents injured workers directly. Your consultation is confidential, and your immigration status does not take away your rights.
Compensation Available After a Vehicle Accident While at Work
Our experienced Boston vehicle accident while at work lawyer will investigate every possible source of compensation so you receive the maximum amount of money possible for your injuries and damages.
Massachusetts workers’ compensation law may cover several categories of benefits, including medical treatment, temporary disability, partial disability, permanent and total disability, scarring, loss of function, and survivor benefits.
Workers’ comp may cover:
- Medical treatment
- Hospital bills
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medication
- Partial lost wage benefits
- Temporary disability benefits
- Permanent disability benefits
- Specific injury benefits for permanent loss, scarring, or disfigurement
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Death benefits for surviving dependents
If someone other than your direct employer caused the crash, you may have third party claims. These claims may include:
- Full lost wages
- Future lost future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Future medical care
- Permanent impairment
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium money damages for your spouse
- Wrongful death damages in fatal cases
Common Injuries in Work Vehicle Accidents
Vehicle accidents on the job can cause serious injuries that prevent workers from returning to their old position.
Attorney Sheehan handles cases involving:
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated discs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Shoulder and knee injuries
- Torn ligaments
- Crush injuries
- Burns
- Facial injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Internal injuries
- PTSD and driving anxiety
- Fatal injuries
Get medical treatment right away. Delays give insurance companies room to argue that your injuries are minor, unrelated, or caused by something else.
Deadlines for Massachusetts Work Vehicle Accident Claims
Do not wait to report the crash.
You should notify your employer as soon as possible and keep written proof. Massachusetts workers’ compensation claims have strict filing rules, and personal injury lawsuits also have deadlines.
Important deadlines may include:
- Workers’ compensation deadline: Claims generally must be filed within four years from when you knew the disability was connected to work. Death claims also have a four-year rule after death.
- Personal injury deadline: Massachusetts personal injury lawsuits generally have a three-year statute of limitations.
- Motor vehicle crash report: A Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report may be required within five days if the crash caused injury, death, or qualifying property damage.
Our experienced Boston work vehicle accident attorney can review which deadlines apply and protect both the workers’ comp and third-party sides of the case to ensure you receive maximum compensation.
Work Vehicle Safety Problems That May Strengthen Your Case
Some crashes happen because companies cut corners. Safety failures can serve as evidence in a workers’ comp dispute or a third-party claim.
Common safety issues include:
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Unsafe delivery schedules
- Pressure to drive too fast
- Driver fatigue
- Lack of training
- Overloaded vehicles
- Defective brakes, tires, lights, or mirrors
- Unsafe loading dock traffic
- Poor jobsite traffic control
- Missing cones, barriers, or flaggers
- Unsafe forklift or heavy equipment operation
If a contractor, property owner, trucking company, or equipment company contributed to the crash, your case may be worth more than a standard workers’ comp claim.
Don’t Let Two Insurance Companies Blame Each Other
Work-related vehicle accidents involve workers' comp, auto insurance, and third-party liability. Since 1993, Attorney John J. Sheehan has represented injured workers across Massachusetts. No fee unless we win.
