Daily use of my personal vehicle for work

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Daily use of my personal vehicle for work

My job requires me to use my personal vehicle for daily driving, mainly transporting consumers. There is no company car. Most transportation is in town, and stop and go traffic is horrible on a vehicle. I pay out of pocket for repairs. Is there a law that actually requires driving a personal vehicle or can I by law refuse? I have had consumers break things in my car and chip paint on my doors when hitting cars parked next to me. I am told that I have to have proof that a specific person did the damage so that specific person would have to pay out of pocket. And would I have to use my personal insurance if damage was done to another person’s property? I recently was made aware of checking into a different auto insurance policy. Is my employer responsible for any charges for extra insurance coverage? It seems that I am paying more to maintain my car for

Asked on June 18, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Iowa

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 5 years ago | Contributor

The law is that your employer may require you to use your personal vehicle; can require you to foot or bear all costs of using it (mileage, gas, maintenance, etc.); does not have to compensate or reimburse you for any costs, or pay any insurance surcharge or increase; and is not responsible for any damage to your car or accidents you are in (including for your liability to other people). Under "employment at will"--this nation's law unless you have a written employment contract to the contrary--your employer may set all terms and conditions of employment, including in regards to vehicle use; your only right is your right to quit this job and seek other employment if you wish.
Do keep records of mileage and expenditures/costs and present them to your tax preparer at the end of the year--it may be possible for you to get a deduction for use of your car for work.


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