Many workers in Milwaukee have a set place where they do their work, such as a store, restaurant, warehouse, office building or home office. Then there are the jobs that put you on the road all day (or night)–delivery drivers, for example.
For delivery drivers, instead of working out of a particular place, they spend most of their time in their trucks. The job-related injuries that delivery drivers face are largely different than what, for example, warehouse workers and nurses deal with everyday, as workers in those industries less frequently experience car accidents on the job.
When your workplace is the road
Auto accidents, however, are a major hazard for delivery drivers who often spend hours on highways and surface streets. The more time they spend on the road, the more likely they will encounter a dangerous driver. Distracted drivers, drunk drivers, speeders and red-light runners put us all at risk of serious injury in a crash. But delivery drivers are especially vulnerable.
Under Wisconsin’s workers’ compensation law, most of us are not eligible for benefits for injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. The rule is that your injuries are job-related if you sustained them in the course of your work duties. For a delivery driver, a wreck that happens while transporting a delivery or heading toward a pickup site should count as work-related.
Additionally, over-the-road trucking employees are generally considered “traveling employees,” meaning they are covered for all injuries that occur throughout the entirety of their travel and job duties. This includes all activities that are reasonably necessary for living during the travel–making injuries when the truck is not in motion also compensable.
The amount of workers’ comp you can qualify for depends largely on the nature and severity of your injuries, along with your prospects for recovery. A workers’ compensation attorney can explain the details of the benefits available to you and what to expect if your claim is rejected.
