When injured on the job while traveling for business purposes, workers’ compensation coverage may be available, but this will depend on the state’s unique rules regarding workers’ comp. Normally, workers’ comp claims will be able to cover injuries or accidents that take place when performing any work-related activity, either on- or off-site. This means that workers injured on a business trip and performing any work-related tasks will likely qualify for compensation.Travel accident like following some of the possible circumstances that could involve work-related injuries that take place while traveling.
Business Trips
During business trips that take place over the course of one or more days, employees normally qualify for workers’ compensation assistance if injured. This is because they’re considered to be on the job as long as they’re on a business trip. This type of coverage is known as portal-to-portal coverage, which isn’t available for employees who only travel during the workday and return home at the end of the day.
A longer business trip may extend the range of activities that could apply to a workers’ comp claim. If an employee goes on a long business trip, they can anticipate more types of activities to take place over that period of time. For instance, an injury that takes place due to an accident at the employee’s hotel while staying overnight could qualify for workers’ compensation, even if they weren’t technically on the job at the time of the injury.
Injuries Sustained During a Commute
When an employee is commuting to or from the workplace, workers’ compensation typically won’t cover any injuries that take place on their travels. This is due to the fact that they’re not in the process of completing any work-related tasks, nor are they on a business trip.
Travels Throughout the Workday
Many types of employees often travel throughout their workday, which could put them at risk of accidents and injuries. For example, a delivery driver traveling to people’s homes throughout the day for work may sustain an injury on their drive, which may warrant compensation through a workers’ comp claim. On the other hand, they may not qualify for coverage if the accident took place on the way to their initial work destination or while returning home from work, which would count toward the employee’s commute.
Determining Whether Travels Qualify for Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Depending on the state and the specific circumstances of an injury that takes place while traveling, individuals may or may not qualify for workers’ compensation coverage. Many employees may qualify when they believe they don’t, while others may mistakenly believe that an injury took place on the job when it counted as part of their commute.
To help clear up any potential misunderstandings, individuals may want to speak with a work injury lawyer to better determine whether they qualify. Additionally, they’ll be able to better navigate the claims process by working with a more experienced professional. Some may even be surprised to find certain seemingly unrelated activities actually qualify as work-related, enabling them to recover more compensation than they originally thought possible.
