working accident with bosses car.. should i have to pay?

[lilwing89]

i was working the other day at my job at the news office when my bosses wife(the accountant) asked me to pull her car around(which is also the work vehicle)to the back and i was backing up and i smacked(accident) into a cement pole and did $2000 worth of damage to it. its a brand new 2006 trailblazer.

they have insurance and all that and yea. should i have to pay for it? well they arent making me pay for it...

BUT he is making me pay a deductable fee of $500 and im not sure what that is but i dont think i should have to pay that either...

especially when my family has a ton of financial problems and i dont make very much(minimum wage) and they are rich. how cheap is that? well he is deducting pay from my paycheck for that..

is it against the law to make me pay for this 'deductable fee'?

[vashti]

I don't know what your legal responsibility is, but I do think you are morally obligated to pay the deductable. Sorry... Accidents happen, but if you are going to drive, that is part of being a responsible person.

[Gigabitch]

I think that if you're going to be required to drive company vehicles, company insurance should cover you. I worked at a hotel with valets, and yes, those stoned fools ran into things. They didn't have to pay the deductible.

[vashti]

Lilwing, if you can't pay it, can you get another job? I just noticed you said it was a minimum wage job, and yeah - that kind of money would be hard to come up with, and that combined with giga's post, I am changing my mind.

[lilwing89]

no, i cant get another job, especially with hours from 8am to 5pm plus gas plus food plus car payment. he knows all this so he is making me pay like $10 a month... i will be working there forever...

and a sidenote, its not a 'company vehicle' everyone refers to it as the 'work vehicle' because its what he has everyone use since he cant make us use our own cars... well technically it is the company car.

i already agreed to doing it... this pretty much ****s up my college saving plan and all that.

and my trip back to ohio to visit my family.

idk what to do...

[vashti]

You really think you can't get a minimum wage job somewhere else? Where do you live? In the middle of nowhere? Do you think your parents might help you? You will be stuck at this job for more than two years at only $10 per month...

[Gigabitch]

Have you sold yourself into indentured servitude? Dude, where do you live? Believe me, I am the Avatar of Weird Jobs. I know that you don't have to put up with a bad situation. You should know it too.

[YummYMummY84]

In reality you drove the car and caused the accident so be grateful u only have to pay $500. Every insurance has an amount to pay before they fix ur car and by ur nick it looks like u were born in 89 so ur under 25. over here in aus we have to pay up to 2 grand beofre insurance pays out depending on the car insurance u have.
All i can say is if u dont want something like this to happen again dont drive someone elses car or have some more experience before u hop into another persons car. I know what u mean by the feeling my car was smashed by a friend of mine into a fence cos they didnt see it reversing and its the feeling someon can get. I dont drive anyone else car as i scared of doing the same.

[Tone]

Well, at least this will hopefully get you to pay closer attention when driving.

And $500 deductible fee is hardly "****ing up" your college plans.

[Kiechi]

Well, at least this will hopefully get you to pay closer attention when driving.

And $500 deductible fee is hardly "****ing up" your college plans.

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. You have to remember he is only on minimum wage AND from what I can gather he is pretty much supporting himself. $500 may not be much to you but it might be for him. However, at the end of the day HE did damage the car. Hopefully as you rightfully pointed out, he will learn to pay closer attention.

[Gigabitch]

But guys, the question isn't about "I stacked up my friend's car" it's about a car he was driving in the course of his work. I think it's sleazy for an employer who only pays minimum wage to demand that he pay the deductible when he was driving it for work. It's ridiculous.

[Lloyd95]

[QUOTE=Gigabitch]But guys, the question isn't about "I stacked up my friend's car" it's about a car he was driving in the course of his work. I think it's sleazy for an employer who only pays minimum wage to demand that he pay the deductible when he was driving it for work. It's ridiculous.[/QUOTE]

It's not ridiculous; it's not like he was driving out on the street and got into an accident, he solely backed into an immovable object, of course he should have to pay something.

I personally wouldnt let some 16 year old kid drive my car of any kind, but assuming he's got a license and all, he has to learn to be responsible. Oh, and take a driving course too.

[TAVS]

That's a tough one. If he's going to let workers drive it; it's a company car. He may not have it insured as such but either way it's his problem. But if you really want to keep your job you dont have much choice now do you?

[Junket]

Considering the fact you hit the pole, and not the other way around. Yeah, you should pay. I mean come on, you hit a stationary object. Now if a random car hit you and it wasn't in any way your fault, then I would say you shouldn't.

[dreamer101]

imo, you should have not to pay a cent. i am not sure what the laws are like in US, but if your boss claims tax deductions on THAT car, then it is a company vehicle. So the damages you caused will also be tax deductable, so he is just trying to screw you.
if i were you i would get some legal advice. don't you guys have soemthing called 'workplace relations office' established by the government or some free legal advice ?
besides the bottom line is if he employed you without adequate insurance for the wrok you are required to perform, then he has breached workplace standards. and since there is no neglience on your part, you are not liable.

get legal advice.