There is more going on in the news right now than any time I can remember in my life. Because of this, some news can slip through the cracks or not get discussed enough. One such issue is that Hertz filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 22nd.
This is a work comp blog so the question is if you are a Hertz employee who has been injured on the job, how will this affect your case?
The short and sweet answer is likely not at all. Although the bankruptcy filing isn’t even three weeks old, the Court has already granted permission for workers’ compensation claims against Hertz to proceed as normal.
That is because bankruptcy doesn’t usually make these cases go away. Either Hertz is self insured and has put up a bond to cover these costs or they have insurance like any other business does.
The bottom line for you is that if you were injured while working for them, your claim should keep proceeding. Beware any attorney or insurance adjuster who tries to tell you that they can’t help you or there is a delay because of the bankruptcy filing. It is most likely a lie.
This isn’t unique to Hertz. This is how it works in almost any case. The only time you really have to worry is if the insurance company for your company goes out of business. That doesn’t happen a ton, but occasionally does with some smaller outfits. If it does, your case isn’t over, but will be substantially delayed.
Not only are Hertz employees able to proceed as normal, so is anyone who was injured by a Hertz driver. So if you were picking up a car from Hertz while on a business trip and one of their workers ran in to you, your lawsuit against them can also proceed. This too is very good news.
And don’t feel bad for Hertz. Somehow their stock is up over 500% since they filed Chapter 11 which makes no sense of course.
As always, if you want to speak with a lawyer for free about this or any other issue, please contact us at any time.
