If you’re hurt while traveling to work or for work, you may wonder if your injury is covered by workers’ comp. Whether or not your injury qualifies for workers’ compensation depends on exactly what you were traveling for. Let’s break it down for you.
Commuting To and From Work, Most People Most of the Time
If you’re injured on the way to or from work on a regular day where you provide your own transportation and do not do any errands for work on the way, workers’ comp does not cover it. You might get into a minor car accident on your drive in, or twist an ankle getting off a bus on the way home. Injuries that you receive when you’re going between your home or personal activities and work are not covered under workers’ compensation when you have your own transportation.
Your Employer Provides Transportation
If you use employer-provided transportation, such as using a company car or riding a bus provided by your company that only carries company employees, then any injury you receive while using that transportation would count for workers’ compensation.
Your Employer Pays You During Your Commute
If your employee pays you on your way to or from work – if your commute also counts as paid hours of work – then you would also qualify for a workers’ compensation claim if you’re injured. For example, if you travel to several locations every day to do work during your shift, and your shift starts when you leave your house to drive to the first location, you count as being on the clock and you are eligible for workers’ compensation.
Errands On the Way To or From Work
If you’re running an errand for work on your way to or from work, such as going by the bank to deposit that day’s business deposit before you head home, then you could make a workers’ compensation claim. If you’re just going to the bank for yourself or running other errands for yourself it would not count.
Business Trips
If you’re injured while traveling for business, you qualify for a workers’ compensation claim. The business travel can be short-term-in-town travel, such as going across the city to meet with another business you work closely with. It may also be longer or more involved business travel, such as an overnight trip where you’re flying to go to a conference.