Is it recognized as a commuting industrial accident?

As in the situation you described, even when an accident occurs while commuting to work using a commuter bus provided by the company, if certain requirements are met, it is recognized as an occupational accident, and you can receive commuting industrial accident compensation.

In order to be recognized as a commuting industrial accident, the following requirements are basically necessary.

1) Use of transportation provided by the employer

A case in which the worker used transportation under the control and management of the employer, such as a commuter bus provided by the company

2) A customary route and method

A case in which the accident occurred while the worker was following the commuting route and method that they ordinarily use

In other words, a case in which an accident occurs while commuting to work by commuter bus meets the above requirements, so an application for commuting industrial accident compensation is possible.

In addition, even if the worker uses a personal vehicle, if the commuting route and method are customary, it can be recognized as a commuting industrial accident.

However, for some occupations (such as demand-responsive passenger transport services, private taxis, and quick-delivery services), the application of commuting industrial accident status may be limited because the commuting route is not fixed.

For industrial accident compensation, securing supporting materials, such as the time of the accident, the location, the record of transportation use, witness statements, and CCTV footage, is very important.

Therefore, in the case of an accident while using a commuter bus, as in your situation, promptly reporting the accident to the company and the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service and preparing the relevant materials helps in obtaining recognition of the industrial accident.

If you are currently considering an industrial accident due to a commuting accident, we hope you find a solution with the help of Daeryun, ranked 9th among law firms in Korea (based on 2025 National Tax Service value-added tax filings), which assists with cases based on accumulated experience.