suspension is this legal?

[jan1234]

I live and work in Colorado. I was asked to do some training in Denver so I drove the company truck while driving I hit a patch of ice and hit the meduim going about 45mph the speed limit was 65 but it was kind of snowing, anyway both air bags exploded and I hit my head pretty hard so I was bleeding no other cars were involved. I did not have a cell phone and all signs said move accidents out of traffic. I was scared and was not sure of my surrounding I got turned arouned and just drove back to the shop about 110 miles and informed my boss what happened. The owner and his partner now want me suspended without pay because they say the truck is totaled and I should be punished. There has been 3 other accidents before me and no one was suspended. They want to make it a company policy starting with me and have everyone sign it 80% of this job is driving and accidents happen thats why you have insurance. I do not have any negative reports in my file and my boss always says I'm his best man. The owners don't care about that. This is money out of my pocket and I would not have been in Denver if it wasn't for the training. I just want to know if there is something I can do about it.

[cbg]

Nothing you have described suggests any legal recourse. If the employer wants to change the policy, which he may legally do, someone has to be the first. It is not illegal to suspend you for having an accident with the company car.

[Beth3]

If your employer wishes to suspend you because they feel you were driving too fast or unsafely for the road conditions, they may. Same goes if the reason the truck was totalled was because you drove it 110 miles back to the shop after it was damaged in the accident.

This is a rhetorical question but why didn't you use your cell phone or pull off the highway to use a pay phone and call your boss and ask what to do???

[Pattymd]

Welcome back, Beth. Boy, are we glad to see you!

[jan1234]

I did not have a cell phone, and no I don't think that I should be the first. If my company has a list of policies but decides to add one and have all employees sign it, it should start at that time. I can't help it if the truck was not weighted down and I was moving with traffic. As I said before all signs said move accidents out of traffic. I just feel like the company doesn't want to go through their insurance and this is unfair because they say I did not get a police report which I could at anytime. Sense their was no damage to the medium and the truck is only worth $2500.00 they don't want me to. Why should I be suspended when in the other accidents the employees were cited. It may be that I am related to the shop forman. This is just unreasonable because no one will want to be a driver if they are not protected under the companies car insuance.

[cbg]

BUt the law does not say that the employees have to sign off on a policy before it can go into effect. It may be unfair; it may be unreasonable. I wasn't there so I don't know. But it was legal.

[jan1234]

what if the policy says it is up to the owner but the owner hasn't talked to the employee and just doesn't want to go through the insurance. I still get dizzy and I was trying to save the company money now I can't even go to the doctor if it gets worse what should I do?

[cbg]

Why can't you go to the doctor? Just because you were suspended doesn't mean your insurance is cancelled.