The costliest mistake is letting the wrong insurance company control the claim early. That does not automatically ruin it, but it can delay wage checks, medical treatment approval, and any claim against the at-fault driver.

If your East Providence employee was hurt while working, start with workers' compensation notice to your carrier immediately, even if the crash was on I-95, involved tourist traffic, or happened in a company RV or work truck during summer travel. In Rhode Island, workers' comp usually pays the employee's medical bills and lost wages first, without waiting to prove fault. Your auto insurer may still handle the vehicle damage and liability claim.

Here's how it changes depending on the situation:

• Another driver caused the crash: You likely need both claims moving. Workers' comp handles the employee's immediate benefits. Your auto carrier or the other driver's insurer handles the negligence claim. Behind the scenes, the comp carrier may later seek reimbursement from any third-party recovery. If you only opened auto first, fix that now by reporting the work injury to the comp carrier and preserving photos, witness names, and the police report.

• Your employee caused the crash or it was a single-vehicle loss: Workers' comp can still apply because the injury happened in the course of work. Auto liability may not put money in your employee's pocket for bodily injury, but comp may cover treatment and partial lost wages. This is where business owners lose money by assuming "our driver was at fault, so nothing is covered."

• It was not a road crash at all - for example a crossing guard hit while working roadside, or another work-related accident: auto insurance may be irrelevant except for a separate at-fault vehicle claim. Workers' comp should still be reported right away.

Rhode Island's general lawsuit deadline for personal injury is 3 years from the injury date, but insurance reporting should happen now, not months later. If there was a police response in East Providence, get that report number into both files so the adjusters are working from the same facts.