juenloch
May 8, 2012, 11:15 PM
Should a driver, employed as part of their normal work, to look after children in the community, and drive these children in their own car for work -pay all the excess if a child (client ) being transported in that car causes damage to the owner/staff car and an others vehicle.
Driving recently a car for work-2 years at this job. Using my own private car -doing regular work for welfare agency /brokerage.
I am transporting children for NSW Community Services .
A group of 4 including (3 children and myself) are getting into the car .
A child of 7 1/2 -the oldest , seats himself in the front of the car and spontaneously releases the handbrake .
I was about to put the other children in the car .
The child is in the car alone. I notice the car is moving and run around to the front /driver side, to try and pull handbrake before momentum builds.
The car is stopped by hitting the car parked 2 meters ahead.
I send in my incident/accident report . My company is vague and evasive -about their own policy on this matter -then after a few days of my phoning , they say they do not contribute or pay insurance -*I likely have to pay at fault excess of $600-they say it's the nature of the job -that's why they want driver to have comprehensive.
I comment I was not told this before - and due to often driving people with disability , challenging behaviour and children regularly for them - I now have to decide to not transport people as this is too expensive, and dangerous , and is unfair to the car owners/staff-to have to pay full costs and be at fault.
I will note that doing this job- 1 staff to 3 children is increasingly common- it's ironic that welfare agencies are more and more over burdening staff with clients including children it seems to save them and community services money -putting clients and staff in danger-in danger of being sued also -when in cars and out in the community.
Driving recently a car for work-2 years at this job. Using my own private car -doing regular work for welfare agency /brokerage.
I am transporting children for NSW Community Services .
A group of 4 including (3 children and myself) are getting into the car .
A child of 7 1/2 -the oldest , seats himself in the front of the car and spontaneously releases the handbrake .
I was about to put the other children in the car .
The child is in the car alone. I notice the car is moving and run around to the front /driver side, to try and pull handbrake before momentum builds.
The car is stopped by hitting the car parked 2 meters ahead.
I send in my incident/accident report . My company is vague and evasive -about their own policy on this matter -then after a few days of my phoning , they say they do not contribute or pay insurance -*I likely have to pay at fault excess of $600-they say it's the nature of the job -that's why they want driver to have comprehensive.
I comment I was not told this before - and due to often driving people with disability , challenging behaviour and children regularly for them - I now have to decide to not transport people as this is too expensive, and dangerous , and is unfair to the car owners/staff-to have to pay full costs and be at fault.
I will note that doing this job- 1 staff to 3 children is increasingly common- it's ironic that welfare agencies are more and more over burdening staff with clients including children it seems to save them and community services money -putting clients and staff in danger-in danger of being sued also -when in cars and out in the community.