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Company car crashes raise serious legal stakes. In Georgia, employers can be held liable for injuries their drivers cause, but only when the driver was acting within the scope of employment. Personal detours and reckless driving can shift or share liability between driver and company. Victims need to move fast to uncover records, challenge corporate defenses, and demand accountability.
Company vehicles have an edge: they wear the name of a business. For a victim, that edge should mean access to deeper pockets and accountability. Many people assume that if a driver works for a company, the company pays for every wreck that driver causes. Georgia law turns on facts, not assumptions.
An employer is in play when the driver acted within the scope of employment. Scope means the driver was doing work the employer asked, a duty tied to the job, or something the employer expected. Delivering goods, transporting clients, and visiting job sites are considered work actions. When a driver is doing work for the employer and crashes, the employer faces vicarious liability. That’s legal language for: the company must answer for its driver’s harm.
Personal Errands and the Blue Lights
What happens when someone behind the wheel takes a detour? What if after dropping off a load, the driver runs personal errands? Courts call this a “frolic” or a “detour.” A true personal detour can remove the employer from liability. But Georgia courts look for real breaks from work duties.
If the driver’s side trip is short, informal, or tied to the job’s timing, the company may still be responsible. For example, stopping for a quick bite because the schedule demands it can count as part of the job. If the phone rings and the boss asks the driver to pick up supplies before heading home, that trip stops being personal. The line is factual, not abstract. Judges and juries will look at timing, employer instructions, work schedules, and how much control the company exerted over the driver’s route.
Control is not subtle. If the employer dictates the route, assigns tasks, or places strict time windows on stops, courts see the driver as an instrument of the business. When harm follows, the company answers. You deserve clarity on these control factors from someone who fights for plaintiffs.
Employee Missteps and Employer Exposure
Drivers make mistakes. Sometimes gross ones. Speeding, texting, and running red lights are employee missteps that hurt real people. If the driver was on the clock and doing work that benefitted the company, the employer faces liability for those mistakes. Injury claims then reach deep into commercial policies.
The employer’s liability grows when the company failed to train, failed to monitor driving records, or ignored reckless behavior. negligent hiring and negligent retention are claims that strip corporate shields. If a company knew (or should have known) that a driver posed risks but still put them on the road, that company becomes part of your case.
Get Forceful Advocacy After a Company Car Crash
After a collision involving a company vehicle, evidence matters. Trip logs, dispatch records, employer policies, and witness accounts reveal where responsibility lies. Insurance adjusters will slice details to shrink your recovery. You need someone who pushes back hard.
Reach Out for Results
If you or someone you love was hurt in a crash with a company driver, get aggression and heart on your side. Call Robin Frazer Clark, P.C. at (404) 873‑3700. Your injuries aren’t small. Your case deserves relentless effort and clear answers.