Business

Why Employers Need Extensive Car Insurance for Their Drivers

Published

4 years ago

October 28, 2021

Do your employees drive as part of their daily work duties? Whether you have delivery drivers or just send employees on errands, your drivers need extensive car insurance coverage.

If your employee gets into a car accident on the clock, you’ll be liable for damages and injuries if your employee caused or contributed to the accident. The other driver could sue your employee directly, but when they realize the other party was on the clock, they’ll probably sue you instead.

When your employee gets into a car accident with an underinsured driver, and the accident is not your employee’s fault, you’ll be left to pay for company vehicle repairs out of pocket if you don’t have the right insurance coverage. If your employee was driving their own car, they’ll be responsible for the physical damage.

To cover yourself and your employee in a car accident, here’s why you need more than just a standard car insurance policy. You also can’t rely on workers’ comp to carry you through an auto accident situation.

Workers’ compensation insurance won’t cover property damage or third-party injuries

Unfortunately, workers’ compensation will only cover your employee’s injuries in a car accident. If your company vehicle is damaged or totaled in an accident, you’ll be paying for repairs out of pocket.

Workers’ comp won’t save you from lawsuits, either. If someone involved in the crash decides to sue your company, you’ll end up with some hefty bills. If you’re found liable for injuries to someone other than your employee, and you don’t have the proper coverage, you can expect to watch your bank account get drained paying for their medical bills.

Having workers’ comp is essential, but it’s not enough when dealing with a car accident. If your employees drive company or personal vehicles, every driver needs higher limits for the following coverage:

Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. Having employees drive on the clock is risky. Even great drivers can get hit by other people, and if they don’t have insurance, the damage won’t be covered. That’s why you must carry underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage.
If you reject higher coverage for underinsured/uninsured motorists, you could leave an injured employee hanging. That’s what happened to a Verizon employee when they tried to file a claim after being hit from behind at a traffic light. Verizon had rejected higher coverage amounts, but nobody knew the coverage had been rejected. Had the employee known, he would have purchased his own additional coverage. The court ruled in favor of the employee, stating he should have been notified of the rejection.
Collision coverage. This coverage will help pay for the cost of repairs to the vehicle. Either your employee needs to carry this coverage or you need this coverage for your company vehicle.
Liability insurance. This coverage helps pay for property damage and injuries to third parties when you’re at fault. If your employee causes a car accident, this coverage will help pay for damages. This coverage should be a non-negotiable condition of employment for all drivers.
Comprehensive insurance. This coverage pays for damage to a vehicle that isn’t caused by a collision. If you’re going to hire employees to drive, they need to carry comprehensive insurance.
Say your employee parks their car while performing their job duties, and someone slashed their tires. Your employee might end up suing you for the damage. Don’t risk it – require all driving employees to carry comprehensive coverage.
Hired and non-owned auto coverage. This will provide coverage after your employee’s personal coverage is exhausted.

If you’ve opted out of workers’ compensation, your financial liability is huge

You might have opted out of workers’ comp, and if so, you’re not alone. Some states don’t require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. For example, holding a policy is optional for most businesses in Texas. However, if you’ve opted out of carrying workers’ comp, your liability is huge.

If your employee gets injured in a car wreck and you don’t have workers’ compensation, and your auto insurance policy isn’t enough to cover their injuries, you’ll be paying out of pocket.

Workers’ comp was created specifically to allow injured employees to get compensation for their injuries without clogging up the legal system. The entire scheme is pro-employer. It’s a no-fault system where employees are covered even when they’ve contributed to or caused their own accident.

Not having workers’ comp will turn out to be a bad choice if an employee gets injured in a car accident on the clock. The biggest risk is getting sued in a personal injury lawsuit.

If your employees drive, get extensive coverage

When selecting your auto insurance coverage options, get higher coverage whenever possible. Whether your employees drive their personal vehicles or your company cars, you can’t afford to be without extensive coverage.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

6 days ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.