My Nanny Was In A Car Accident! | How To Handle

Today we’re tackling a subject that everyone hopes they never have to deal with…

Car accidents!

We recently came across an article where a nanny was involved in a car accident on her way to work. Upon letting her nanny parents know, the parents didn’t even think to ask if she was okay and later, took to social media to complain about their “dramatic” nanny.

What? Yikes!

That’s not the way a car accident should be handled.

Below, we walk through what the nanny and the family should do if the nanny is ever involved in a car accident. We hope you find it useful!

PRO TIP: Ensuring that your nanny has a signed medical release form for your children is important so that they can receive immediate medical care if needed.

A car accident is a topic everybody hopes they will never have to deal with…. but having a plan in place is one of those things you need but hope you never have to use.

This guidance was prompted by a news article about a nanny who was in a car accident on their way to work.

Upon letting the parents know about the accident, the parents didn’t even think to ask their nanny if she was okay.

Not only that but later, they took to social media to complain about their dramatic nanny.

Yikes! This is a good example of how not to handle this sort of situation.

Thankfully the children were not in the car when this particular nanny was in the accident.

But it’s a good reminder that many nannies and families likely don’t have a plan in place in the event there is a car accident while the nanny is caring for the children.

This isn’t legal advice, but here is how we’d suggest approaching a car accident scenario both as a nanny and as a family.

If a nanny gets into an accident with the nanny children in her own vehicle:

Step #1:  Make sure that all parties are okay and don’t require medical attention. Everyone’s safety and well-being is the top priority.

Step #2: Contact the appropriate emergency services such as medical or police if those services are needed.

Step #3: The nanny should let the parents know about the accident as soon as possible after any immediate injuries are handled.

Step #4: Trade insurance information if another vehicle is involved.

Step #5. If the car is damaged, the nanny will handle repairs through their own insurance company, ideally with the family paying the deductible if the nanny is at fault.

Step #6: Any personal medical care would be eligible for a claim through Labor and Industries or the nanny’s auto insurance depending on the exact nature of the accident.

Step #7: The nanny would utilize their paid sick time if injured and recovering or perhaps Labor and Industries coverage if applicable, or they would want to apply for any extended medical leave their state might offer. In Washington state, the nanny would want to apply to use the Paid Family Medical Leave Act.

Step #8: The nanny and family should keep the lines of communication open about how to best support one another.

If a nanny gets into a car accident with the nanny children but in the family’s vehicle..

…Steps #1 through #4 would remain the same.

Step #5: If the family’s car was damaged, the family would handle any deductibles and repairs.

Step #6: Any personal medical care would be eligible for a claim through Labor and industries and or the auto insurance depending on the exact nature of the accident.

Step #7: The nanny would again utilize their paid sick time if injured and recovering or L&I’s coverags, or they would apply for any extended medical leave their state might offer.

Step #8: Of course, they would want to keep those lines of communication open between themselves and the nanny family to find out how they can best support one another.

If you are the family in this scenario where your nanny gets into a car accident, here is what we recommend:

Hopefully, the nanny has already established that everyone is okay, they have sought out medical or police help if needed, and they have traded insurance cards with the other party if another party was involved in the accident.

After those steps are done, and the nanny reaches out to tell you about the accident, here are your next steps. 

Step #1:  Make sure everyone is okay .

Step #2: Handle any car insurance or L&I claims as needed as the employer.

Step #3: Provide support to your nanny for time off or accommodations for their injury on the job, if requested. 

Step #4: Keep lines of communication open about how you can best support one another.

We also recommend the following preparation tips:

– Include index cards inside a ziplock bag taped to each child’s car seat. The index card should list emergency contact information as well as each child’s allergy and/or medical conditions.

– Make sure your nanny has a medical release form with them so they can seek out medical care for the children, if needed.

– Make sure to have a copy of the insurance card inside the glove box of the vehicle that nanny will be using. The nanny family should also have an emergency contact number or two for the nanny in case of emergency.

– You should also have a worker’s compensation insurance policy in place in the event of an injury.

– You will want to make sure that your nanny stays current with their CPR/First Aid certification, so they can administer aid if needed.

We know it’s a bit of a heavy topic, but we hope this encourages you and your nanny (or family) to have a brief conversation about this, so that there is a plan in place in the event that an accident does happen.