Over the past year, people have relied on delivery services like DoorDash, Postmates, and others.
The convenience of these services is undeniable, and they help millions of Americans put food on the table.
However, more delivery drivers on the road might lead to more occupational accidents.
With delivery drivers rushing from one order to the next, they don’t always drive cautiously. Unfortunately, people are injured and killed by negligent delivery drivers each year.
If you were injured in an accident with a delivery driver, what should you do?
Here, we explain steps you should take to recover compensation for your injuries. If you need assistance, please contact The Beliz Law Firm for a free consultation.
Five Steps to Take After an Occupational Accident with a Delivery Driver
Pedestrians, passengers, and drivers can be severely injured in delivery accidents. If you are involved in a delivery occupational accident, you should take these steps.
Call Emergency Responders
Immediately after the accident, you should call for emergency responders. Stay at the accident scene, moving to a safe place, and wait for help to arrive.
Seek Medical Treatment
Your first priority should be to get treatment for urgent injuries. Allow paramedics to transport you to an emergency room if necessary.
If your injuries are not urgent, seek medical treatment soon after the accident. If you delay getting treatment for your injuries, an insurance company might claim that you got hurt after the accident.
File an Accident Report
Respond to police questions about the wreck, and ask them to file an accident report. Make sure police record your version of accident events.
Gather Evidence
If you don’t require immediate medical treatment, you should gather accident evidence:
- Take photos of the driver’s license and insurance information;
- Take photos of the damage to vehicles; and
- Get witnesses’ names and contact information.
Don’t delay medical treatment to collect evidence. If you need medical care, ask a friend or your accident lawyer to obtain evidence for you.
Call a Lawyer
If you’re worried about paying medical bills or negotiating with the insurance company, an accident lawyer can help. Most accident lawyers offer a free consultation, so you can call or message them without worrying about a fee.
Where Should You File a Claim?
You should file an insurance claim with the responsible party’s insurer. This requires determining fault for the accident. You might file with several insurers, depending on who caused the accident.
File with Another Driver’s Insurance
If another driver caused the accident, you can file with their insurance. In California, drivers are required to carry the following minimum liability insurance:
- $15,000 for injury or death to one person;
- $30,000 for the injuries or death of multiple people; and
- $5,000 for property damage.
Of course, not all drivers carry the required insurance. Though California provides one of the lowest minimums for liability insurance coverage in the nation, 15% of California drivers are still uninsured.
File with Your Uninsured Motorist Insurance
If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, your insurance policy may pay for your property damage and medical bills.
This optional insurance coverage protects you when your accident expenses are higher than the limits set by the other driver’s insurance policy.
File with the Delivery Driver’s Insurance
If the delivery driver was not working at the time of the accident, you can file against their personal auto insurance policy.
In fact, delivery drivers may have their own commercial insurance policies that provide extra coverage. A driver’s personal insurance may not pay if the driver was driving to or from a delivery.
File with the Delivery Company’s Insurance
If the driver was working for a delivery company at the time of the accident, you can file against the delivery company’s insurance.
This option probably provides the most lucrative settlement potential because DoorDash insurance and Postmates insurance is substantial.
How Much Will Delivery Companies Pay for an Occupational Accident?
Delivery companies know their drivers get in many accidents, so companies carry large insurance policies.
DoorDash Insurance Coverage
DoorDash made 45% of all to-go food deliveries in 2020. This huge share of the market comes at a cost, since DoorDash drivers experience many auto accidents each year.
When a driver crashes while making a delivery, DoorDash insurance covers up to $1 million in medical expenses and property repair.
Postmates Insurance Coverage
Postmates, which was recently acquired by Uber Eats, completes five million deliveries each month.
Postmates provides insurance coverage of $1 million for medical expenses and property damage in an accident that occurs while a driver is making a delivery.
Both companies’ excess policies kick in after an accident victim has exhausted the driver’s personal policy limits.
When Do You Need an Accident Attorney?
If figuring out where to file an insurance claim after a delivery accident sounds complicated, that’s because it is.
Insurers will try to deflect and deny your claim any way they can, and that often means multiple insurers will try to shift responsibility to another party.
This can feel frustrating when you’re trying to recover from accident injuries, pay medical bills, and afford basic living expenses.
An accident lawyer can cut through the blame-shifting antics of insurance companies and make the responsible party pay your expenses.
An attorney can also investigate your accident, handle insurance paperwork, and negotiate with the insurer for your highest possible settlement.
Contact an Experienced Accident Attorney
If you need help with your insurance claim against a delivery company, contact The Beliz Law Firm.
Attorney Michael A. Beliz knows the risks that delivery drivers present on California roadways.
He has helped accident victims get the compensation they deserve for 15 years, winning victims collective millions of dollars.
If you would like to speak with Michael about your accident experience, contact him for a free consultation.
You can discuss the accident and learn your legal options. If you choose to hire Michael, you’ll pay nothing until he settles or wins your case.
Michael A. Beliz, Esq., established The Beliz Law Firm in the spring of 2011. Michael has been a practicing attorney since 2006 and worked for two of the most prominent plaintiff’s personal injury law firms in Southern California. He has worked on and handled hundreds of cases as an attorney in all types of personal injury cases, including vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents and dog bites, and successfully recovered millions of dollars for his clients.
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