---
title: When an Employee Uses Their Own Car for Work, Whose Insurance Covers an Accident?
description: Understand the complexities of insurance when employees use personal vehicles for work-related tasks and how to protect your business from liability.
image: https://blog.sterlingmeadowsinsurance.com/hubfs/When%20an%20Employee%20Uses%20Their%20Own%20Car%20for%20Work%2c%20Whose%20Insurance%20Covers%20an%20Accident.png
---

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 Aug 26, 2026, 8:45:00 AM

# When an Employee Uses Their Own Car for Work, Whose Insurance Covers an Accident?

![Picture of Amanda Yaniz](https://blog.sterlingmeadowsinsurance.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Amanda%20Yaniz-1.jpg?width=50&name=Amanda%20Yaniz-1.jpg) [Amanda Yaniz](https://blog.sterlingmeadowsinsurance.com/coastal-coverage-corner/author/amanda-yaniz)

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When an Employee Uses Their Own Car for Work, Whose Insurance Covers an Accident?

3:38

Employees may use their personal vehicles for all kinds of routine business tasks, including making bank deposits, picking up supplies, meeting with clients, or traveling between locations to deliver paperwork or equipment. Even when that driving is only occasional, an accident during a work-related trip can create liability for the business.

## A Routine Errand Creates a Complicated Claim

Suppose you ask an employee to drive to a supplier and pick up materials needed for your business.

The employee uses their personal car. On the way back, they run a red light and hit another vehicle.

Your employee is injured. The driver of the other vehicle is also injured, and their vehicle is damaged. Because the employee was driving for work, the accident can involve both personal and commercial insurance.

## When Your Employee Is Injured

Your employee's auto coverage provides PIP benefits for qualifying injuries from the accident. Because the trip was work-related, workers' compensation may also come into play.

This is one of the first places the claim becomes more complicated than an ordinary personal auto accident. The employee was driving their own vehicle, but they were also performing work for your business.

A vehicle accident that occurs while an employee is acting within the course and scope of employment can result in a workers' compensation claim.

## When the Other Driver Makes a Claim

The other driver's own PIP coverage may respond to qualifying injuries under Florida's no-fault system. But PIP does not eliminate the possibility of a liability claim against the at-fault driver.

Depending on the injuries and circumstances, the other driver may pursue a liability claim against your employee. The employee's personal auto liability coverage may respond to that claim.

Because the employee was completing a work-related errand, the business may also be named in the claim. Non-owned auto liability coverage is designed for situations like this, where a business can be held liable for the use of a vehicle it does not own, including an employee's personal vehicle used for company purposes.

## When the Claim Exceeds the Available Limits

If the other driver suffers significant injuries, the resulting liability claim could be substantial. With relatively low personal auto liability limits, your employee may not have enough coverage to address the full claim, and your business could also face significant liability.

A commercial umbrella or excess liability policy may provide additional limits for a covered auto liability claim. However, the business still needs the right underlying auto liability coverage in place.

If there is no underlying policy to cover the non-owned auto exposure the umbrella will not step in and provide the missing protection.

## Everyday Driving Can Create a Business Auto Exposure

Employees may use their own vehicles for work in ways that feel routine:

- Visiting customers or job sites
- Picking up supplies or equipment
- Making bank deposits
- Traveling between business locations
- Attending meetings or events
- Delivering paperwork
- Running other errands for the business

Even if those trips are occasional, an accident can still create a liability claim involving your business.

If employees drive for work, it is worth reviewing who is driving, how often they drive, and whether your insurance program addresses that exposure.

Talk with your insurance agent about how personal vehicles are being used and how your current insurance program would respond.

[Commercial Insurance](https://blog.sterlingmeadowsinsurance.com/coastal-coverage-corner/tag/commercial-insurance), [Insurance 101](https://blog.sterlingmeadowsinsurance.com/coastal-coverage-corner/tag/insurance-101)

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