I hope it goes smoothly for you.

This was posted in the Montgomery County sub a couple of months ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/yam7yb/so_you_got_a_school_bus_photo_ticket/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

There may be some county-based nuances that this doesn't take into account, but it gives you an idea of what to expect with the court process. As noted, the Judge can lower the fine, but they can also increase the fine up to $500, so there is a risk in going to court. The OP of that post recommended pleading guilty, and I agree that unless there is a very valid reason for you not being at fault, taking responsibility will probably be the best approach.

Don’t lie. I’m not an expert, but some personal use (like driving home from work) is usually covered in commercial policies. If it’s not, then you’re unfortunately out of luck, but consequences will amount to having to figure out another way to pay for repairs/replacement car. Consequences of lying to an insurance company are being denied any auto insurance in the future, getting fines, and facing criminal charges. Do not lie— no matter how small it seems.

Commercial just means for businesses. If it’s not commercial, then it would be personal, and you should still be covered as long as your mom gave you permission to drive the car. Idk how the insurance will view the circumstances, but bottom line is that it shouldn’t make a difference that you were the one driving.

Not sure how insurance will determine whether the damage is covered or not, but if you’re an employee of the company that the vehicle was insured under, then it shouldn’t matter that you were the driver and not your mom—car insurance covers cars, not drivers, and generally any employees driving a car insured under a commercial policy are covered drivers.

Sorry this happened— sounds like it was a really scary situation and now you’ve got this headache. I hope the insurance can give you some good news.

I'm in a similar situation. It's a pain, but one thing that I *think* helps is to still go in like once a month. It's not always practical, and it actually makes it harder for me to get work done, but it at least gives people the perception that "oh, metzger does come in with they have to."

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In any case, they should be mad at the employer, not you. I would tell you to tell them that, but considering your employer has the ridiculous policy in the first place, they'd probably be more inclined to take your ability to work remote away rather than extend it to others.