Company Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Austin, TX
HURT IN AN ACCIDENT IN A COMPANY OR DELIVERY VEHICLE? CALL (512) 883-0277 FOR COUNSEL!
Dedicated Company Vehicle Collision Lawyers Aggressively Representing People Injured on Texas Roads and Highways
Glen Larson Law Injury Attorneys’s company vehicle lawyers in Austin understand there is a lot of confusion regarding injuries that occur in collisions with business-related travel, and how they affect personal injury lawsuits and recovery options in Texas.
Our managing attorney and law firm founder, Glen Larson, has represented injured Texans and injury clients throughout the United States for more than 15 years with one important goal: To pursue dedicated, driven results for the injured. He has handled company vehicle collision cases and recovered millions of dollars for his clients and their loved ones.
We help injured people and their families understand the liability, damages, and recovery options available to pursue when they have been injured in a collision with a driver who is behind the wheel of a company vehicle.
In a company vehicle collision case, it is very important to uncover all applicable sources of financial recovery, including the insurance coverage providers for the company, the individual, or another third party that can make our clients whole again.
Our Austin law firm provides access to a skilled team of legal professionals and support staff, investigative resources, financial resources, research analysts, medical experts, and some of the sharpest minds in accident reconstruction and engineering, so they get expert legal representation.
Call us now to learn more about our commitment to providing a wall of legal protection for all our Lone Star State residents. Call 512-883-0277. There is never a charge to talk to a Company Vehicle Accident lawyer. We stand ready.
Company Liability and Employee Negligence in Austin, Texas
Employees who drive company vehicles, or who use their personal vehicles for work-related business, have been given certain privileges and are expected to abide by their company policies while on the road.
Many companies began implementing safe driving policies in 2017 when texting while driving became illegal everywhere in Texas.
Safe companies have created driving plans that prohibit the use of any electronic device by their employees handsfree or otherwise while behind the wheel of a company vehicle, including personal vehicles used for work. Many companies have implemented zero-tolerance policies, however many have not.
When properly implemented, these programs can help reduce the frequency and severity of crashes and violations in vehicle operations. They also help increase a strong public image for the company’s commitment to safety.
These companies are not the only ones who believe safe driving programs are important to both their staff and public safety.
A new FMCSA rule restricts the use of all hand-held mobile devices by drivers of commercial motor vehicles, restricting a CMV driver from holding a mobile device to make a call, or dialing by pressing more than a single button. In many instances, company vehicle crashes are not technically regulated by FMCSA, however many companies have adopted some of the same principles.
It is very important for companies to utilize best practices for the safe operation of their company vehicle fleets. Some examples of best practices for company vehicle fleets are found below.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA), has used its General Duty Clause, to issue citations and proposed penalties in these circumstances, considering distracted driving to be a recognized hazard in the industry to employee safety.
- The National Safety Council recommends a complete employer cellphone ban that covers all handheld and hands-free devices for all employees in personal or company vehicles.
- The Centers for Disease Control suggests employers ban all phone use while driving a company vehicle and apply the same rules to the use of a company-issued phone while driving a personal vehicle.
The reason for the push in driver safety is that many employees who operate company vehicles even if it is their own are often supplied with cellphones, laptops, or tablets that allow them to conduct business while on the road.
While forward-thinking company officials implement policies that forbid the use of electronics behind the wheel, even the safest companies have employees who stray from their policies, either because they are in a hurry or simply believe one violation will not matter. Until it causes a serious collision with injuries or even fatalities.
When policies are in place, but employees are not following them, they are not just violating the company policy, they are negligently operating their vehicles and can be held liable for the collisions, injuries, or even fatalities that result.
When companies do not have a zero-tolerance policy in place regarding distracted driving in the field, they too may be liable for any collisions that occur while their employees were distracted behind the wheel for their lack of prevention.
The National Safety Council states that drivers are four times as likely to crash when using a cell phone while driving and that employers are being held liable for up to $25 million for employee crashes, even when employees use hands-free devices.
If you have been hurt in a crash with an employee who is operating a company vehicle, even if that vehicle is their own and is used for work purposes, contact our skilled company vehicle accident lawyers at Glen Larson Law Injury Attorneys today to discuss your case. Call 512-883-0277. There is never a charge to talk to a Company Vehicle Accident attorney Austin. We stand ready.
What is Considered a Company Vehicle in Austin, Texas?
Company or corporate vehicles can be cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs, or other passenger vehicles that are used for business even when it is owned by the driver instead of an organization.
When a vehicle is used for work purposes like traveling to meetings, running work-related errands, or other business-related purposes, it is a company vehicle.
Common business-related purposes may include but are not limited to using a vehicle to:
- Pick up or deliver goods
- Provide a free service, including going to the post office or bank on behalf of the company
- Travel between work locations or to a remote work location
- Visit clients or other professional business partners, including Austin Company Vehicle Accident attorneys or accountants
- Traveling in a rental car when an employee is out of town for business
Additional conditions under which a car may be defined as a company vehicle may include when the:
- The vehicle is driven by employees for both business and personal use consistently
- The vehicle is rented or leased by others
- The vehicle has equipment or modifications, including an altered suspension or snowplow
- An owner named on the vehicle title is a business
Some company vehicles are easy to identify and can include those that carry the company’s logo, like a construction company’s pick-up truck, home healthcare service vehicles, and sales organizations with employees out in the field.
Others are not as easy to classify, as employees often use their own vehicles for work-related purposes, which is why it is important to discuss any car accident injuries with a seasoned Austin company vehicle accident attorney to ensure each potential layer of insurance coverage is pursued your case.
Call our Austin company vehicle accident law firm today to learn more about our experience, connections, and resources that will help produce dedicated, driven results for your claim. Call 512-883-0277. There is never a charge to talk to an attorney. We stand ready.
Determining Liability After a Company Vehicle Accident in Austin, Texas
Following a serious traffic accident with a company vehicle, one of the most pressing issues will be if the person driving the vehicle the employer or employee will be personally responsible for any damages and injuries.
First, the most important factor in any company vehicle crash case is proving negligence occurred and the direct result was the collision. Negligence occurs when the person operating the company vehicle fails to act responsibly, resulting in an accident that causes injury and damages.
Next, we must determine who is liable for the company vehicle collision, so we can hold them accountable for our client’s damages.
The company is typically responsible for a collision when the employer is legally responsible for the actions of their employees who are traveling or working on their behalf. In this situation, the company’s insurance coverage will ensure they are not personally responsible to cover any damages owned to the injured victims.
This is what sets accidents with company vehicles apart from other types of traffic accidents.
The employee, or driver who caused the collision while driving a company vehicle, may be liable for the damages when the employer rightfully refuses to protect the employee from a lawsuit.
This can occur when the employee who is operating the company vehicle:
- Commits a crime, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol otherwise recklessly operating the vehicle
- Used the vehicle for personal, non-business, or improper purposes
- Is an independent contractor, not an employee
Company vehicle collisions in Texas have multiple layers that must be legally assessed to ensure we are pursuing the maximum damages for each of our client’s unique cases. Our company vehicle accident attorneys in Austin have the skill, experience, and resources necessary to pursue dedicated, driven results for your case, starting with a free consultation.
Call us now to determine who is responsible for your Texas company vehicle accident today, so we can begin seeking justice on your behalf.
What Type of Damages Can I Pursue After Being Hurt by a Company Vehicle’s Driver in Austin, Texas?
Company vehicle collisions in Austin, Texas are valued based on the complete damages that were caused by the driver’s negligence. This means each case is unique and requires a skilled Austin personal injury attorney to evaluate the overall compensation each client we represent will need to get their life back on track.
The damages we may pursue on your behalf could include:
- Past medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Loss of past wages
- Loss of future wages
- Loss of wage-earning capacity
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering in the past
- Pain and suffering in the future
- Mental anguish in the past
- Mental anguish in the future
- Physical impairment in the past
- Physical impairment in the future
- Physical disfigurement in the past
- Physical disfigurement in the future
- Loss of household services in the past
- Loss of household services in the future
- Wrongful death
- Survivorship damages
We Also Focus on the Following Practice Areas:
- Boat Accident
- Car Accident
- Civil Litigation
- Child Care
- 18 Wheeler Truck Accident
- Catastrophic Injury
- DWI Accident
- Motorcycle Accident
- Workplace Injury
- Product Liability
- Pedestrian Accident
Contact our Company Vehicle Accident Attorneys in Austin, Texas at (512) 883-0277 For A Free Consultation Today
Call our company vehicle accident attorneys in Austin, Texas today to discuss your case during a free consultation and learn how we can protect your rights and pursue the appropriate liable party or combination of parties for your financial recovery.
Glen Larson Law Injury Attorneys stands ready to provide you with dedicated, driven results.
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