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What Happens if an Amazon Truck Gets in an Accident? | Tatum & Atkinson

What Happens if an Amazon Truck Gets in an Accident?

Home / FAQ / Truck Accident FAQ / Amazon Truck Gets in an Accident. What’s next?

The consequences of an accident involving an Amazon delivery truck may depend on numerous legal variables. Tens of millions of Americans have incorporated Amazon into their daily lives since the 2005 inception of Amazon Prime. According to estimates, the world’s largest online retailer ships about 18.5 orders per second, or around 66,000 per hour. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, its volume has skyrocketed as social distancing advice has encouraged even more online shopping.

An Amazon distrubition center and its fleet of Amazon trucks.

Amazon Truck Accident Lawyers

North Carolina residents rely on Amazon to supply everything from prescription drugs to auto components. Though Amazon’s service may appear near perfect and quick, the ground delivery infrastructure that Amazon relies on poses a real risk to others on the road. The long schedules and deadlines that Amazon places drivers under to keep up with the enormous daily delivery volume often increase the risk of collision. You may have the basis for a personal injury claim if you sustain injuries in an accident with an Amazon Prime truck driver.

But, unlike other car accidents, the law doesn’t always make it easy to solve these kinds of accidents. Legal issues specific to claims involving company vehicles must be taken into account. Amazon has various options to escape accountability, particularly if doing so would make it liable for paying compensation to injured parties. Let’s look at the legal issues that may impact your case following an accident involving an Amazon delivery driver and how hiring a skilled truck accident lawyer can help you.

What Qualifications Must You Meet to Become an Amazon Driver?

Because of the enormous workforce needed to support Amazon’s operations, drivers are continuously being hired. Along with the high number of workers required to fulfill a single day’s worth of packages, Amazon also has a high turnover rate, which raises some serious concerns. Most Amazon facilities estimate an average turnover rate of 3% weekly, or 150% annually, for drivers and warehouse workers combined. Employees frequently complain about challenging working conditions and onerous daily objectives. Drivers must complete between 250-300 deliveries daily on average; this amount rises during peak holiday seasons. According to statistics, the majority of Amazon drivers you’ll run into just started or will soon leave their job.

How Dangerous Are Amazon Delivery Trucks?

Drivers suffer in a variety of ways due to a high turnover rate and demanding working conditions. Operating a delivery truck is challenging and often requires many weeks of in-depth training. UPS requires drivers to have years of experience before receiving weeks of training. Similarly, the USPS mandates that letter carriers go through a two-week boot camp before starting a route. In contrast, oftentimes, Amazon truck drivers receive training for only a few days before beginning to make deliveries. To further reduce the requirements, the Amazon Flex program purposefully capitalizes on the legal issues caused by ridesharing apps. In North Carolina, theoretically, you could begin working as an Amazon delivery person the same day you get your license. Some Amazon drivers are operating cars they are ill-equipped to operate due to the absence of training and excessive turnover.

When the strain of complying with Amazon’s stringent delivery standards is added, a picture of a purposefully undertrained, poorly overseen, and overworked crew is created. Although no one driver is to blame for Amazon’s practices, these stressors make it possible for Amazon trucks to present hazards that other delivery businesses try to reduce. These risks are increased by the size of Amazon’s semi-trucks and delivery trucks.

What Do I Do If I Get into an Accident With an Amazon Delivery Truck?

The first step you should take after being in a collision with an Amazon delivery driver or tractor-trailer is to call the police. The Amazon delivery driver will then need to exchange information with you. You should obtain their name, address, phone number, the license plate of the Amazon delivery car or truck, and information regarding their insurance coverage. During this time, you should also inquire whether they were on duty at the time of the accident; if so, Amazon may be liable. Following that, you should gather any evidence at the scene that you believe would be relevant to your case. Finally, pictures of both vehicles and any possible damage are taken to record the scene. Gather the contact details of everyone else at the accident scene. Any background information concerning the accident, such as the date, time, and place, that you can subsequently supply to a lawyer is also helpful.

A truck accident attorney can assist you in weighing your options and choosing the best course of action for covering your medical expenses (and other recovery costs).

What if the Amazon Driver Is Classified as a Contractor?

Even though an Amazon driver wears an Amazon uniform and drives an Amazon truck, they most likely are not employed by Amazon. Since many of Amazon’s drivers are independent contractors, Amazon is not technically their employer. Although Amazon chooses the drivers’ routes, provides the vans they use, and manages their timetables, contract employment circumvents several legal requirements, rendering Amazon legally immune from responsibility for these drivers. Amazon can minimize its involvement in personal injury cases by claiming that employees classified as independent contractors weren’t engaged on behalf of the corporation at the time of the accident. You would therefore need to file your claim with the Amazon driver’s auto insurance company rather than the business. Your ability to pursue reimbursement for your injuries through Amazon’s extensive insurance plans may depend on a number of criteria and, in many instances, may turn on quite minute details. Hire an accident injury attorney to level the playing field so that you can compete with Amazon’s vast array of legal options.

How Can An Amazon Accident Injury Attorney Aid Me?

As we mentioned above, an accident injury attorney can benefit your case in several ways.

Any information that can affect your case or the settlement will be gathered by your attorney as soon as you retain them. The details can range from your medical bills to the delivery records and pay stubs of the Amazon driver. Even though gathering evidence might not sound exciting, having the proper records on hand can make or break an accident claim, especially when a company with Amazon’s level of legal protection is involved. Your truck accident lawyer will then assist you in determining the best strategy for obtaining your due compensation. Liability might be challenging to establish in a dispute involving Amazon delivery drivers. Whether you can file a claim directly against Amazon or you have to go through the driver’s insurance depends on whether Amazon is potentially at fault for the collision. Also, having a lawyer on your side is the best way to stop insurance companies from giving you a low offer. Retaining an attorney provides you with answers to the legal gaps that the at-fault party could try to exploit.

What Is the Amazon Case Accident Average Case Settlements?

Depending on several variables, the precise compensation sum for an Amazon delivery truck accident may differ significantly. In the end, a settlement should pay for all of your accident-related costs, including any lost wages and the cost of your recuperation. It’s essential to keep in mind that the medical bills associated with your recovery may surpass your original hospital expenditures. If an Amazon truck accident causes you to miss work due to injury, your settlement should include compensation for lost wages. Your settlement might also need to make up for lost future wages because of permanent or disabling injuries, in addition to making up for lost wages.

North Carolina Amazon Truck Accident Attorney

We battle tenaciously to ensure our clients’ best interests are represented when someone else fails to exercise the level of care we feel every driver is entitled to on the road. Contact Tatum & Atkinson, “the Heavy Hitters,” immediately if you suffered injuries in an accident involving an Amazon delivery truck to learn how we might help. Call (800) 529-0804 or contact us online to schedule your case evaluation today.