Employers providing company vehicles have a basic legal duty to keep those vehicles in safe working order. Failure to maintain delivery vans, commercial trucks, work fleets, construction vehicles, shuttles, buses, and other vehicles can lead to major accidents and serious injuries. If you’re hurt in a crash and poor maintenance played a part, you may have legal rights to compensation from the responsible employer. In the event you were injured in a car accident due to an employer’s poor vehicle maintenance, reach out to our work injury attorneys in Los Angeles today for assistance.
Common Vehicle Maintenance Problems That Cause Accidents
Vehicle crashes are often traced back to overlooked issues during manual inspection, underestimated wear, or ignored warning lights. Some frequent problems include:
- Brake Failures: Poorly maintained, worn, or leaking brakes are especially dangerous and often the root cause of sudden highway crashes or being unable to stop in time. When employers skip regular brake checks, the employee driver and others on the road are at real risk.
- Tire Blowouts: Tires not checked for pressure and tread depth can lose control or burst suddenly on the road. This risk increases for trucks or vans hauling heavier loads.
- Steering or Suspension Problems: When steering components or suspension aren’t properly looked after, handling becomes unsafe and turning a company vehicle properly becomes much harder.
- Engine or Transmission Failures: Skipping basic service, like oil or fluid checks, worsens engine reliability. Engine or transmission trouble on a busy road quickly leads to accidents or breakdowns.
Each of these problems may be obvious to employers long before a collision happens, but they might decide not to do anything about it because they’re trying to save time and money.
Can an Employer Be Held Liable for Vehicle Maintenance Failures?
Employers must keep all vehicles owned by the company in a reasonably safe condition at all times. This generally includes inspecting vehicles regularly, making repairs when problems are discovered, replacing worn parts, and removing unsafe vehicles from service when necessary.
If the Injured Person Was an Employee
If the injured person was driving or riding in the work vehicle as part of their job duties, the claim will often fall under California workers’ compensation laws. Workers’ compensation may provide benefits for:
- Medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Disability benefits
- Rehabilitation or follow-up care
- These benefits are generally available regardless of who caused the accident.
Can an Employee Also File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Sometimes, yes. If another company or third party contributed to the accident, the injured employee may also have a separate personal injury claim in addition to workers’ compensation. Examples include:
- An outside repair company performing negligent maintenance
- A defective tire, brake system, or vehicle part
- Another negligent driver causing the crash
These third-party claims can allow injured employees to recover additional damages that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover, like full lost wages and future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
If Another Driver or Pedestrian Was Injured
If a poorly maintained company vehicle injures someone who is not employed by the company, that person may be able to file a standard personal injury lawsuit directly against the employer or other responsible parties.
Can an Employee Ever Sue the Negligent Employer?
In California, workers’ compensation laws generally mean an employee can’t sue their employer directly after an accident. In most situations, workers’ compensation becomes the employee’s primary remedy for medical expenses, lost wages, and disability benefits.
However, there are limited exceptions where additional legal claims may exist. For example, if an employer intentionally concealed a known danger, failed to carry workers’ compensation insurance, or engaged in conduct that went far beyond ordinary negligence, additional legal paths could be possible, like a civil lawsuit.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries tied to vehicle problems on the job, protect your rights by speaking to an attorney familiar with on-the-job vehicle accident cases today. Call us to schedule your free consultation.