Delivery drivers are in high demand. Decades ago, pizza places were among the only businesses that offered immediate delivery to customers. These days, restaurants of all varieties, grocery stores and even hardware stores offer delivery to customers.
Many businesses keep delivery drivers on their payroll. The workers delivering purchases or hot meals to individual consumers are at significant risk. Regardless of whether they drive company fleet vehicles or their own vehicles, they could potentially end up hurt in a crash while on the clock.
What protects a delivery driver after a car crash on the job?
Work collisions are common
According to federal workplace injury statistics, collisions are consistently one of the top causes of premature death and catastrophic injuries among direct hire employees. When employers require that people drive, there’s never any guarantee of their safety. There are several options for compensation available after a car crash on the job, and the forms of compensation available to the injured delivery driver depends in part on the circumstances.
What if the worker is at fault?
Delivery drivers often feel pressure to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. They could cause crashes by trying to beat a red light or failing to yield at an intersection. When delivery drivers are at fault for a collision, they may believe they have no financial protection.
However, that is not the case. Workers’ compensation provides no-fault coverage. Even when it is readily apparent that a worker caused the crash that left them injured, they may still be eligible for medical benefits and disability pay. Workers’ compensation may not cover their property damage losses, but it can limit the financial fallout of a crash cause by a stressed, distracted or fatigued delivery driver.
What if the delivery driver isn’t at fault?
Delivery drivers are sometimes just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another driver who is drunk or distracted runs a red light and hits them. Some people mistakenly presume that anyone operating a company vehicle should yield to them despite traffic regulations, leading to preventable crashes.
When the other driver was at fault for the crash, the delivery driver has more options for recouping their losses. Workers’ compensation coverage still applies. They may also have the option of filing a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. In fact, they may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. They can take legal action against the driver at fault or a third party with a degree of liability for the incident.
Reviewing the circumstances of an on-the-clock car crash with a skilled legal team can help delivery drivers pursue workers’ compensation benefits and other financial relief. An attorney can help injured delivery drivers establish fault, calculate their losses and hold the right parties accountable for their collision-related expenses.