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Do You Have to Reimburse an Employer for Damage You Cause to a Company Vehicle

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  • 06-24-2016, 01:54 AM
    Josephrobby
    Do You Have to Reimburse an Employer for Damage You Cause to a Company Vehicle
    Hello Everyone,
    Basically, I am 19 years old and am home for some of summer from college and luckily am able to work for my father to make some money for the short period I am here. He owns his own plumbing business. For the month or so I worked for him, I was driving around one of the very large company 3500 vans uninsured. I guess my father figuring with it being a short time, it wasn't "necessary" to have me insured.

    During this period of me working for him, I was on the job, trying to park this long van into a parking space inside a parking garage. The spot I was supposed to be parking in was the customers, and was a tight fit do to the cement support being on one side of the space, and a wall on the other. While very carefully trying to park it, literally inching back and forth, in a fully wrapped van with nothing but side mirrors and a mediocre at best rear facing camera, I managed to slide against the cement support and cause some damage to the company vehicle wrap, and some damage to the body of the damage itself.

    Now there is some deeper issues that my father is having on a personal level with the same insurance company which is why him going through insurance + me being covered did not happen. He sent me to gather some quotes for the damage and is telling me I need to pay him back for the total amount of damage caused (roughly $1200). I feel very sorry/ stupid for my actions, and would love to pay him back but with me moving into an apartment in the coming weeks and having school payments coming as well is just brutal to think about. Finally for what I am trying to figure out, with no written/ verbal contracts or anything of the such, does he have the ability to hold me responsible to be paying back these damages? Any input is greatly appreciated.
  • 06-24-2016, 05:07 AM
    jk
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    It's real simple; you drove the vehicle. Your negligent acts caused damage. You are liable for such damage. Pay your father.
  • 06-24-2016, 05:16 AM
    llworking
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    Quote:

    Quoting jk
    View Post
    It's real simple; you drove the vehicle. Your negligent acts caused damage. You are liable for such damage. Pay your father.

    Would you say the same if his boss was not his father? Or, would you expect the boss to have the vehicle properly insured and to make a claim against that insurance?
  • 06-24-2016, 05:22 AM
    jk
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    Quote:

    Quoting llworking
    View Post
    Would you say the same if his boss was not his father? Or, would you expect the boss to have the vehicle properly insured and to make a claim against that insurance?

    Yes I would. One does not get to argue the boss should have insurance or even if the boss did have insurance the boss must utilize it to pay for the damages of a negligent employee. The insurance is for the benefit of the boss, not the employee in situations such as this.
  • 06-24-2016, 05:29 AM
    budwad
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    He is a college student trying to make a few bucks working for his father. I suspect dad is trying to teach him a lesson. Or dad is really a cheapskate.
  • 06-24-2016, 07:04 AM
    Mr. Knowitall
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    You didn't identify your state, so we can't direct you to the applicable laws from your state.
    Quote:

    Quoting jk
    View Post
    It's real simple; you drove the vehicle. Your negligent acts caused damage. You are liable for such damage. Pay your father.

    Some states (e.g., California) define damages caused by an employee's negligence (including car accident damage) as a cost of doing business that cannot be passed on to an employee.
  • 06-24-2016, 07:32 AM
    comment/ator
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    Your dad can fire you. And don't forget, if your has been helping you with college expenses, and if you really force this, act like a jerk, he can fire you from being his son. It's a pretty big price to pay for a pretty small amount of money in the long haul.
  • 06-24-2016, 08:28 AM
    hr for me
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    So sorry. It was a bad business move by your father not to insure you. At most he could take you to small claims court if you refuse to pay (just like any other uninsured employee). Although what about your personal car insurance? Would it cover you/him? It would probably in the end raise the rates though.

    Like others have said, if he is giving you other support, that might go away. and who knows about a personal relationship? I am sorry that he is being harsh over a combined mistake. Maybe ask if he would split the cost since you both could be considered liable?

    If you wanted to be retaliatory -- you could always anonymously notify the agent/insurance carrier that he has non-insured employees driving company vehicles.
  • 06-24-2016, 08:41 AM
    llworking
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    Quote:

    Quoting Mr. Knowitall
    View Post
    You didn't identify your state, so we can't direct you to the applicable laws from your state.

    Some states (e.g., California) define damages caused by an employee's negligence (including car accident damage) as a cost of doing business that cannot be passed on to an employee.

    I think that the same must apply to my state as well, as I have never seen an employer collect from an employee for accident damage.
  • 06-24-2016, 09:02 AM
    budwad
    Re: Un-Insured Damage to Company Vehicle, Do I Have to Pay for Damage
    What is probably going on (all speculation on my part) is dad is paying his son cash off the books. There is no W2, no entry in the payroll, no workman's comp, he is not listed as an employee.
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