Many professions and businesses require their employees to take to the road daily, driving branded vehicles during paid, work hours. Like any time driving, accidents will happen, including self-collisions and not-at-fault car accidents, and during working hours is no exception. Suffering a car accident during working hours can be highly stressful. Here, we share with you the best way to handle the situation if this happens to you.
Address any injuries
Even the most harmless of not-at-fault accidents can cause injury to you or your passengers, as you may be ride-sharing with your colleagues or even your clients. Immediately after your accident, it’s essential you check on every person involved, addressing whether anyone needs medical assistance or help from emergency services. Despite being on work time, the safety and health of every person involved are paramount, and every employer will prioritise your safety in these situations.
Record the driver’s details
Depending on the scale of your accident, you will need to document much information about the accident. Your employer will want to know who was involved in the accident, specifically the passengers and other drivers involved. If possible, you will need to record the other driver’s name, contact details, licence number, and details of the car. Taking photos will help you dispute any issues with who is at fault, or for any memory problems about the specific event.
Call your employer
Once the initial shock of the car accident has passed, and you’ve documented everything about the occurrence, you will need to contact your employer, specifically your direct report. Your employer needs to know what has happened to you and help you recover from the accident. If required, your employer will be responsible for organising you an accident replacement vehicle, and the towing of your damaged car. Your employer may also ask you to document other specific elements of the crash site you hadn’t accounted for, so you’re best to not leave the accident site before speaking with your employer.
Assess your abilities
Despite your employer’s deployment of an accident replacement vehicle, or if your car is still drivable, you may not feel like driving. Feeling stressed, shaken and uncomfortable is entirely natural after suffering an accident. Before getting back behind the wheel, it’s essential you assess your abilities, honestly evaluating whether you can physically drive or whether you need more time to recover.
