Company vehicle accident claims
You were hurt while driving or riding for work, and you are not sure who is actually responsible.
Yes, an employee hurt in a company vehicle, or as a passenger on a work errand, can claim in the same way as anyone else on the road. The at-fault driver’s insurer pays a valid injury claim, whichever vehicle you happened to be in at the time.[1]
A familiar version of this: you are driving a company van between sites when a lorry runs a red light and hits you. You are shaken and bruised, and your first call is to your supervisor before you even think about a claim.
Where your employer actually fits in
Your employer is worth informing quickly, since the vehicle or the errand may need to be logged internally, and they may also handle their own vehicle’s damage separately from your injury. That internal report is not the same thing as your own injury claim.
Your claim for your injuries still runs against whichever driver caused the crash, through that driver’s insurer, regardless of whose vehicle you were in.[1]
Passengers on work trips are specifically covered
If you were a passenger rather than the driver, being on a work errand does not weaken your position. Compulsory cover has been confirmed to extend to passengers travelling for work, injured in the insured vehicle.[2]
Does it matter whose fault the crash was?
Your claim still depends on who was actually negligent, whether that is the other driver or, less often, the driver of the company vehicle itself. Being at work when it happened does not change how fault is worked out.
If the company vehicle’s own driver caused the crash, a colleague who was a passenger can still claim, in the same way any injured passenger can.
What to do, alongside reporting to work
- Get treated and keep every medical record.
- Lodge a police report naming both vehicles.
- Tell your employer what happened, separately from your claim.
- Keep any dashcam footage from the company vehicle if fitted.
- Get a specialist medical report once your injuries are clearer.
What to do next
Treat your own claim and your employer’s internal process as two separate tracks that both need attention. Company vehicle accident covers the shared-responsibility side in more depth, and accident while commuting to work covers the slightly different case of your own daily commute.
Common questions
Was the vehicle mine or my employer's insurance that pays?
Neither, if another driver caused the crash. The at-fault driver's insurer pays your injury claim regardless of which vehicle you were in, whether it belonged to you or your employer.[1]
I was a passenger in a colleague's car on a work errand. Does that count differently?
Work travel is specifically covered. Compulsory insurance has been confirmed to extend to passengers travelling for work, so being on a work errand does not weaken your claim.[2]
Do I need to tell my employer before I make a claim?
Telling your employer is worth doing quickly, since a company vehicle or a work errand may need to be reported internally, but this does not replace lodging a police report and seeking treatment for your own claim.
Does it matter that the accident happened during work hours?
It does not change who pays for your injuries. The claim still runs against the at-fault driver's insurer, whether the crash happened on a work trip or a personal one.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.96 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)
- Insurance Info, on Road Transport Act 1987 s.91(1)(b)(bb) (accessed 2026-09-22)