Distracted Driving During Deliveries

Accidents caused by distracted driving during deliveries are different from individual driver collisions, as responsibility can extend beyond the person behind the wheel. It’s always important to seek out personalized car accident legal help, but especially in cases involving delivery drivers. In these cases, a lawyer from Gage Mathers can establish fault and disentangle the role of businesses in compensation.

The Risk of Delivery Driving

In the last decade, delivery driving has become a thoroughly ingrained part of our society. This means more cars on the road, but it also means an increase in a specific kind of driving.

Delivery drivers might be driving streets unfamiliar to them, finding specific addresses, and talking with customers, all while attempting to complete their deliveries as efficiently as possible. This leads to more pressure to look at a GPS, search for addresses, and handle packages or food.

These responsibilities don’t change a driver’s obligation to follow the law, of course. In Arizona, it’s illegal for drivers to hold a wireless device while driving.

Who’s Responsible?

Property damages and injuries can be extensive, but if the driver is working at the time of the accident, fault can be complicated to establish. One of the complicated factors of accidents involving delivery drivers is the relationship between the driver and the business they work for.

Traditionally, companies are responsible for the actions of their employees while they’re at work. Because of this, many companies that offer deliveries don’t directly employ their drivers, so they’re insulated from legal and financial consequences of vehicle accidents. This is why employer liability for delivery drivers can be so complicated.

A driver may be an independent contractor, an employee, or someone working through a third-party app-based platform. This relationship is important to establishing where legal responsibility falls.

Establishing Fault

To establish who’s responsible for an accident involving a delivery driver, investigators may try to answer such questions as:

• Was the driver an employee or an independent contractor?
• Was the driver actively making a delivery at the time of the accident?
• Was the driver using a navigation app immediately before the accident?
• Who owned the vehicle involved?
• What insurance policies apply to the collision?
• Are there company policies relevant to the driver’s actions?

Establishing liability in cases where a driver is working at the time of the accident can be complicated, and every party can have their own agenda in attempting to avoid fault. This is where expert legal counsel becomes irreplaceable.

One of the most important roles of law firms in representing victims of accidents is gathering evidence. Not all evidence is readily available, and it’s helpful to have someone on your side who knows where to look, who to ask, and which evidence matters.

Getting the Help You Need

The lawyers at Gage Mathers have a long history of protecting victims and ensuring they get the compensation they deserve. If you’ve been in an accident involving a delivery driver, reach out to see how we can help you build your case, establish if they were distracted, and hold the right parties responsible so you get the money you need to recover and move past your accident.

Wondering about pedestrian injuries from distracted driving? Check out our recent article!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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