One of the greatest risks facing most businesses is their
exposure to auto liability claims. This includes supervisors
operating pickup trucks and sales personnel driving
passenger vehicles, as well as employees using delivery
trucks and service vehicles. All of these situations create
a liability exposure that could threaten the existence of
your company.
In recent years, many jury decisions involving commercial
automobile liability cases have resulted in high awards to
the plaintiffs. In some cases, punitive damages, which are
generally not covered by insurance, are also assessed
against the defendant's organization - most often for
negligent hiring and negligent entrustment of a vehicle and
a general lack of adequate safety policies and controls. |
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Vehicle Crashes are the #1 Cause of Workplace Fatalities
Beyond the physical damage of the vehicles, there is the
potential for injuries to employees and others who may be
involved in an accident. In fact, more employees are fatally
injured on the job due to vehicle collisions than any other
single cause. More than 25 percent of all construction
industry deaths in the United States in 2006 were
transportation related, the majority of which were vehicle
accidents.
The injury costs associated with employee vehicle accidents
are generally three times the cost of other workplace
accidents.
An effective fleet management and maintenance program will
help reduce an organization's auto liability exposure and
protect the safety and welfare of its employees. The program
should cover employees who drive company vehicles, as well
as employees who drive their personal vehicles for
company-related business. |
