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Workers’ compensation questions can get complicated fast. In our new Dear Julie series, Julie Nichols, outside counsel for BIAW’s ROII program, answers common questions contractors and employers face when navigating Washington’s workers’ compensation system. Julie has been practicing law and helping building industry employers navigate Washington’s unique workers’ compensation laws and regulations for nearly 20 years, bringing practical insight to real-world claim situations ROII participants encounter every day.

DEAR JULIE,

Our company is growing, and we're considering purchasing a few company trucks so employees don't have to use their personal vehicles to travel between job sites. We thought this might be safer and easier to manage, but we're concerned about workers' compensation exposure. Does putting employees in company vehicles increase our liability?

— CURIOUS IN CHEHALIS

DEAR CURIOUS IN CHEHALIS,

In the majority of situations, you will be responsible for an injury that occurs from the moment your employee enters the vehicle to the moment they exit the vehicle. There are some limited exceptions, such as a scenario where a worker strays from a route for personal business.

That said, you should also know that if you are requiring your employees to travel for work purposes – even if they are using their own vehicles – you will be liable for anything that occurs during that trip, regardless of who owns the vehicle.

Want to learn more? For a deeper dive into workers' compensation liability and work-related travel, check out our blog post, Employees and Company Vehicles. It explores additional scenarios and considerations employers should understand when deciding whether to provide company vehicles.

Please note that the Q&A exchanges shared in Dear Julie are hypothetical scenarios loosely based on claims and cases that ROII staff handle daily. This information should not be considered legal advice. If you have a specific question or claim concern, please contact your ROII claim representative and/or your attorney.