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Amazon trucks get millions of Texans their orders quickly. However, this quick service often means that there are more and more trucks on the road making deliveries for Amazon. From tractor-trailers on the highway to delivery trucks and vans in towns and cities, these trucks have a higher and higher chance of being involved in an accident that seriously injures someone.
If you or a loved one was involved in a crash with an Amazon driver, consider speaking with a lawyer about your case. An attorney can fight to protect you from low-dollar settlements and help you get the compensation you need to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
For a free consultation on your Amazon delivery truck accident case, call The Queenan Law Firm. Our Houston Amazon delivery truck accident attorneys are dedicated to helping injury victims get compensation for their bills and expenses from the parties that hurt them. For a free case consultation, call us at (817) 476-1797 today.
Can You Sue Amazon for Delivery Truck Accidents in Houston?
Amazon is the company ultimately in control of this service that runs delivery trucks throughout the Houston area and across the country. However, Amazon is not always at fault for accidents caused by its delivery truck drivers. In many cases, whether you can sue Amazon for the crash comes down to whether Amazon is directly involved in the delivery.
Suing for Accidents Involving Amazon Trucks and Drivers
In some instances, Amazon packages are delivered by trucks owned or leased by Amazon and drivers who are direct employees of Amazon. If Amazon was responsible for vehicle upkeep and an equipment problem caused the crash, Amazon can often be held liable for that issue. Similarly, if the driver was an Amazon employee, Amazon might be liable for the mistakes their employee made while driving.
Under a rule called respondeat superior, employers can typically be held liable for their employees’ negligence if the negligence happened within the scope of their duties – which should cover any driving accidents involving Amazon delivery truck drivers. Our Houston Amazon delivery truck accident attorneys can help investigate the case and request maintenance logs, employee records, driver logs, and other evidence to help prove Amazon is liable for their driver’s mistakes.
Amazon could also be held liable for negligent hiring if they should have known their driver was unsafe. Hiring drivers with a history of bad accidents or drunk driving is unacceptable and can put an employer like Amazon partially at fault for the harm the unsafe driver causes.
Suing for Third-Party Delivery Truck Accidents
In other cases, the drivers who make deliveries for Amazon are third parties that do not work directly for Amazon. Companies like UPS and FedEx often make deliveries across the country for Amazon as well as other online sellers. The same is true for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Typically, when one of these companies’ drivers causes an accident, it isn’t the fault of the company whose package is on the truck. Instead, the victim would sue the driver and the delivery company.
The same is true for smaller delivery companies or independent contractors that make Amazon deliveries. These drivers are not Amazon employees in many cases, so Amazon would not be responsible for the driver’s mistakes. Even if the whole truck is full of Amazon packages, that might not be enough to legally involve Amazon in the case.
This might not seem fair, but rest assured that you can still typically sue the at-fault driver or the delivery company they work for. These companies and drivers carry insurance that can pay for injuries, even if the responsible party is not as wealthy as a big company like Amazon. Talk to our Houston Amazon delivery truck accident attorneys for help determining whether the driver who hit you was a third-party worker or an Amazon driver.
Proving Fault in an Amazon Delivery Truck Accident in Houston
Many Amazon delivery drivers – whether they are employees or third-party delivery drivers – have a strict schedule to adhere to when working for Amazon, especially with 2-day “Prime” shipping promises. Short delivery deadlines often overwork these drivers and lead to unsafe driving, speeding, and long hours to meet deadlines. These factors could be used to help prove fault if you can get evidence that these issues affected the driver’s safety.
Commercial truckers and drivers are often required to follow federal limits on the hours they drive and when they take breaks. Driving can be a dangerous job with long hours, so drivers are required to take breaks and to stop driving after being on the clock for a certain amount of time. Drivers and companies that ignore these rules put others at risk, and these violations can be used as evidence to prove fault in your case.
Other violations are also evidence of fault. For instance, delivery drivers who speed to make deadlines can be held responsible for crashes they cause while violating the speed limit or running red lights. Drivers can also be held liable for injuries they cause if they use drugs while driving to help keep them alert or “buzzed” on long shifts.
Otherwise, fault in an Amazon delivery truck accident is determined like it is in any other car accident case. The court or the insurance companies will look at what happened leading up to the accident, identifying unsafe driving habits (such as distracted driving) or other traffic violations (such as failing to use a turn signal). Talk to our Houston Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers for help.
Call the Houston Amazon Delivery Truck Accident and Injury Lawyers at The Queenan Firm
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a crash involving an Amazon delivery truck, call our Houston Amazon delivery truck accident attorneys today. The Queenan Law Firm represents victims and their families in lawsuits and insurance claims. Call us today at (817) 476-1797 today to set up a free legal consultation.