Recent research in Illinois indicates traffic accidents hold a high percentage of accountability in the filing of workmans’ compensation cases. This can be frequently compounded by the sharing of one vehicle carrying multiple workers, resulting in several claims for liability.
A common claim is the focus on the trucker driving a long-haul payload, who frequently feels pressure to deliver within time constraints. A new factor to consider is that of a professional salesperson who spends a lot of time on the road on his or her cellphone, contributing to distracted driving. A salesperson is likely to have experienced less training in on-road safety issues.
Research indicates that fleet management needs to focus on implementing safety programs that deal with high-risk vehicles, as well as aspects of distracted driving. Training in simple reminders to wear a seat belt and other driving deficiencies can help lower the fatalities and injuries on the road that are work-related.
Truck driver safety issues are crucial but many car accidents involve a solitary driver who is navigating along unfamiliar terrain without the advantage of a fleet company’s practical defensive-driving strategies.
Experts agree that while many corporations focus on enterprise risk management, they neglect basic travel risk management, which makes them vulnerable to liability. Defensive driving should be emphasized in the ability to eliminate distractions before getting behind the wheel.
With the new technology available, cameras can be utilized to monitor any employee’s driving strategies and address deficiencies that arise.
These strategies, combined with partnerships in product management workers’ compensation cases, and insurance companies, can be combined with medical data to produce approaches to prevent tragedies from occurring. A common cause of a work-related case might be a driver who falls asleep at the wheel. If a medical condition, such as a sleep disorder, goes un-diagnosed, it can spell disaster.
As the world grows and expands, the roads become crowded with workers who travel to make their living. Whether it is construction negligence, a trip to a work site or another type of accident on the road resulting in a work-related injury, Illinoisans should take advantage of every resource available to collect facts regarding how to protect themselves and make the most out of workers’ compensation claims, whether it results from an accident on-site, or an accident occurring in a motor vehicle.
Source: Business Insurance, “Traffic accidents are a leading cause of serious workers comp injuries” Bill Kenealy, Jul. 06, 2014
