Who pays after a delivery driver injures you? Depending on the circumstances of a gig economy crash, multiple parties may be liable for covering the damages, including delivery drivers’ insurers, rideshare companies’ insurers, personal injury protection (PIP) insurers, or others.
If you suffer injuries in an accident involving a delivery driver, you may be able to recover compensation to cover medical expenses and other damages. Call Young, Reverman & Bolotin today at 513-400-0000 to discuss your accident case in a free consultation.
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Determining Liability in Delivery Driver Accidents
Traffic accidents often occur in Cincinnati, with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) finding that Hamilton County alone sees around 28,000 accidents every year. Many of these accidents involve delivery drivers.
Liability in crashes involving delivery drivers will depend on the relationship the driver has with his or her company, whether the delivery driver was in an accident while on the job, and the liability of others involved in the accident.
The following are parties that could be liable for an accident involving a delivery driver:
- Delivery Drivers: In many cases, delivery drivers are responsible for accidents, especially when they rush to reach their destination and ignore the rules of the road in the process. For instance, they might race to deliver a package on time out of fear of losing out on tips or due to pressure from supervisors.
- Drivers’ Companies: In other instances, drivers’ companies might be responsible at least partially for an accident, especially if they encourage a driver to break the law or otherwise drive recklessly to cause an accident. Companies could extend to trucking companies if the driver was a trucker working for an employer as a full- or part-time employee.
- Other Drivers: Other motorists might share liability or be fully liable for accidents involving delivery drivers.
- Pedestrians: If a pedestrian fails to cross at designated walkways or otherwise neglects to signal to drivers that he or she is crossing, or if he or she obstructs the road without warning, the pedestrian may be responsible for accident injuries and other damages.
- Municipalities: Sometimes, accidents result from poorly maintained roads that fall under the responsibility of local, state, or federal governments.
- Road Workers: If workers fail to put up appropriate signage warning of work or dangerous conditions, or if they leave debris or equipment on the roads after completing work, they could also share liability for an accident.
If you need help determining who pays for damages in a multi-car accident, you could benefit from hiring a delivery driver accident lawyer.
How Insurance Coverage Works for Crashes in the Gig Economy
Whether the delivery driver pays through their insurer or their company’s insurance will depend on the nature of the driver’s work.
In many cases, delivery drivers work as independent contractors for rideshare services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. In these instances, the drivers would normally need to pay via their own auto insurance or PIP insurance coverage.
However, some might work directly for their company as full-time or part-time employees, in which case they might be able to pay through their company’s insurer.
Also, delivery companies hiring independent contractors may still need to provide a degree of protection for drivers. Specifically, this would count as liability coverage that pays compensation for bodily injuries and property damage that others sustain in an accident—the delivery driver, meanwhile, would still need to cover a delivery driver injury and other damage through their own insurance.
The Importance of Hiring an Attorney
If you get involved in a delivery driver accident and a delivery driver or another party is liable, it’s best to consult with experienced motor vehicle accident lawyers who could determine the options available to you.
The right attorney can determine liability, calculate the damages and compensation for all types of car accident injuries, negotiate with insurers with a claim, take your case to court if needed, or even appeal a decision if you lose a car accident lawsuit initially.
Having reliable legal support behind you could make all the difference when seeking compensation from drivers or other liable parties. Otherwise, it could be difficult to prove liability and recover all damages. If you decide to pursue total compensation from a company like Uber or Grubhub, it can be especially difficult, as they tend to have large insurers that work diligently to avoid large payouts. A dependable lawyer can build a strong case to prove that a driver or the company behind him or her is liable for an accident and responsible for covering all related damages.
For help with a case involving delivery drivers, the legal team at Young, Reverman & Bolotin can provide legal assistance in a claim or lawsuit. Contact us today to discover what we can do for you.
