Getting in an auto accident while on the job in Maryland can be the worst of both worlds.
As if a car or truck accident isn’t stressful enough, when a traffic crash occurs while you’re on the road for a Maryland employer — it’s easy to feel pulled in multiple directions at once. There’s the hassle of dealing with insurance companies, auto body shops, doctors, and lawyers. Throw in a company car or even your own car used for business, and then bring your employer (and all that potential drama) into the mix, and it’s no wonder accident victims get quickly overwhelmed.
Let’s say you’re driving to a sales call at a company in Baltimore City. All of a sudden, BAM! You are sideswiped at a downtown Baltimore intersection. The knee-jerk reaction if you’re involved in a work traffic accident is to call the boss immediately. Makes sense, right? Wrong!
As experienced Baltimore County work accident lawyers, we’ve heard about well-meaning employees who make mistakes at the traffic collision scene that can have lasting ramifications. A common mistake is calling one’s employer from the accident scene before the police arrive — and getting talked into falsifying details of the accident to police. This can happen when an employer gets upset about a company car involved in a Maryland traffic crash, and then begs the employee not to disclose they were working for fear their insurance rates will go up.
That really puts the worker in a bind because you have your employer — the person who signs your paycheck — telling you to lie. Employees may be coaxed into misrepresenting the facts of the auto accident. DON’T DO IT. Giving a false statement to a Maryland police officer is a crime, and if caught, you will probably be charged criminally. In addition…
- If you fail to disclose that you were driving for work at the time of your auto accident — and it’s discovered you were — then the insurance company could disclaim coverage.
- Or if you need to file a Maryland Workers Comp claim for work injuries suffered in that accident — and you did not report that you were working — your claim could be invalidated.
The best thing you can do when in a car accident in Maryland while working is call the police first. Let them come to the accident scene and make their official police report. Then call your employer. But for heaven’s sake, don’t let your boss push you around and coerce you into changing the facts and/or lying to Baltimore or other Maryland police officers. Once a lie is hatched, there’s no erasing it.
Related Maryland Injury Attorney Articles:
Maryland Car Accident Lawyer Advises: Always Call the Police from the Scene