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sharp-marten-152

BF got hurt in crash while driving for work — company says they have zero insurance??

So my boyfriend was driving to a client site for his job last week when another driver ran a red light and T-boned him. He works in field services so he's constantly on the road for work — like 60–70% of his job is driving to different locations.

He's been dealing with neck stiffness, shoulder pain, and some pretty bad headaches since the crash. Went to urgent care the day after but we're worried about the bills stacking up.

Here's where it gets complicated:

His company told him to use his personal vehicle for work but never gave him any kind of commercial-use rider or reimbursement for proper coverage. When we called his HR department, they basically said "not our problem" and told us his personal auto insurance should cover everything.

His personal policy might not even cover incidents that happen during work-related driving — I've been reading conflicting things online and I genuinely don't know.

On top of that:

  • He's been out of work because he can't drive his car (it's pretty banged up) and his job literally requires a vehicle
  • The company is dodging his requests for anything in writing and keeps insisting on "just having a phone call"
  • He was never properly reimbursed for mileage or insurance costs like they verbally promised when he was hired

We know we should talk to a lawyer but honestly we don't even know what KIND of lawyer, or what to do RIGHT NOW to protect him before things get worse. Has anyone been through something like this? What did you actually do first?

8replies

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8 replies

  • 15
    plain-mole-196

    A few things worth knowing (not legal advice, just stuff I've seen come up a lot):

    1. There's a legal concept called "respondeat superior" which basically means employers can be held liable when employees are hurt doing work-related tasks. Whether it applies depends on a lot of factors, but it's worth raising with an attorney. 2. If the other driver ran the red light, their liability insurance may be your first avenue regardless of the work question. 3. Personal injury attorneys who handle car accidents almost always do free consultations and work on contingency — meaning you pay nothing upfront. That's the kind of lawyer you want here.

    • 12
      daring-kestrel-916

      Please make sure he goes back for a proper follow-up, not just urgent care. Neck and shoulder issues after a T-bone can develop into something more serious over days or even weeks — things like soft tissue injuries or disc problems don't always show up immediately. Get it documented by a doctor and don't let him just "push through" the pain. That medical paper trail also matters a lot if this ends up in a claim.

    • 8
      calm-owl-622

      This sounds so stressful, I'm sorry you both are dealing with this. The fact that he can't even work right now because his car is out of commission is just awful. Rooting for you both — please update us when you know more.

  • 13
    clear-raven-158

    I used to work on the claims side of things and the "we don't have insurance for that" line from a company usually means one of two things: they genuinely don't have coverage they should have (which is a big problem for them legally), or they're hoping you don't push back. Either way, it's not the end of the road for you. An attorney can subpoena their actual policy documents if needed — companies can't just verbally claim they're uninsured and have that be the final word.

  • 8
    plain-badger-983

    The company insisting on phone calls instead of written communication is a HUGE red flag. They don't want a paper trail. Do not have any more conversations with HR or management about this over the phone without following up immediately in writing — like send an email after every call summarizing what was said. "Per our conversation today, you stated that..." That kind of thing. It's not paranoia, it's just smart.

  • 13
    kind-vole-685

    Here's what I'd do today, in order: (1) File a claim with the other driver's insurance — they ran the red light, start there. (2) Call your BF's own insurer and report it, even if you're not sure about coverage — NOT reporting can void the policy. (3) Talk to a PI attorney before you say anything else to his employer. Seriously, stop engaging with HR without legal guidance. This is way past a DIY situation.

  • 5
    hearty-crane-378

    Oh man, this hits close to home. I was in almost the exact situation two years ago — driving for a delivery-style job in my personal car when I got rear-ended. My company pulled the same "not our problem" routine. What saved me was that I had documented EVERYTHING — emails, texts, the mileage logs I submitted. Start gathering every shred of communication you have right now, before anything disappears.

    • 3
      quick-marten-868

      Not legal advice, but I'll say this much: when an employer requires an employee to use a personal vehicle for work and doesn't ensure proper coverage exists, there are real legal questions about liability that an employment attorney and a personal injury attorney would both want to look at. These aren't always clean-cut cases, but "the company has no insurance" is a starting point for investigation, not a final answer. Most PI attorneys consult for free — use that.