An Aggressive Advocate, When You Need It Most.

Who is liable when an accident involves a company vehicle?

Published on Oct 17, 2019 at 6:17 pm in car accidents.

Imagine you are driving down a Pennsylvania road. You are minding your own business when suddenly a vehicle slams into your passenger side. The vehicle failed to stop at a red light. It is obviously in the wrong. What is worse is that you see it is a delivery vehicle. You start to wonder who is responsible and who will pay to fix your car. Will it be the driver or the company?

The American Bar Association explains that there is no one right answer to who is liable in this car accident. It really depends on the situation. It depends on whether the driver was working at the time. If this is the case, then the employer does have some liability. However, if the driver was not working, then he or she may hold all liability.

A good example of when the company is not liable is if the driver is on his or her lunch break. He or she is not working at the time and making deliveries, so the employer may be able to get out of any liability. This is especially true if the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.

So, make sure to get as many details as possible at the scene. Gathering information will arm you with important details that could determine where your case goes from here.

Do note that the state’s insurance laws may also complicate things because you can choose through your insurance whether you want no-fault or not. If you have no-fault insurance, then it really does not matter who is liable because your insurance will cover everything for you. This information is for education and is not legal advice.

Request Attorney Consultation

Call us or fill out the form below to schedule a confidential case evaluation. We can help you determine if you need a lawyer, if you have a potential case, and if so, what your next step should be.

Legal & Firm News

10 Safety Tips for Your Next Family Outing

Planning a day out for your family? At Stapp Law, LLC, we want everyone to be safe when exploring Williamsport, Lycoming County, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania. That’s why we’ve compiled our top 10 safety tips for your next family outing.

Read More

Who Bears Liability in a Slip and Fall Accident?

Most of us are so focused on completing our task at hand that we don’t take extra time to look for every potential hazard in our path. However, not doing so comes with some downsides, one of which includes the risk of slipping and falling and getting seriously hurt. You may be surprised to learn […]

Read More

How Will My Family Be Taken Care of After a Truck Accident?

A commercial vehicle accident is a serious situation. If you’ve been hit by a tractor-trailer and are facing weeks, months, or years of recovery, you may be wondering how your family will be taken care of. What most people don’t realize is that an accident doesn’t just impact the victim. When an accident victim has […]

Read More