Amazon delivers millions of packages every day across the United States. Countless people use Amazon for purchasing all sorts of things due to the convenience online shopping provides, and the use of Amazon and other online shopping services has only increased since the lockdowns in 2020. More Amazon packages being delivered means more Amazon delivery trucks going from one place to another, which inevitably means there will be more accidents involving Amazon delivery vehicles. Amazon delivery trucks are larger than most privately owned motor vehicles, so the other driver will likely suffer worse injuries than the Amazon truck driver. The odds are even worse when an Amazon vehicle strikes a pedestrian.
If you are hit by an Amazon delivery van, truck, or other vehicle around Augusta, we can help. Our lawyers have experience representing plaintiffs who have been injured by Amazon delivery trucks and can collect evidence, interview witnesses, and fight hard for you in court to get you the financial compensation you deserve.
Call our Amazon delivery vehicle accident lawyers at Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 for a free case review.
Causes of Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents in Augusta, GA
The root causes of an accident involving Amazon delivery trucks will mirror the causes of other motor vehicle accidents. Traffic infractions by inattentive drivers behind the wheel of Amazon trucks can lead to serious injury. However, other factors besides a sub-par driver could contribute to an Amazon delivery truck accident. Discussing your particular case with our lawyers can help us figure out the cause of your Amazon delivery truck accident. That information will be critical to forming a strong argument for you in court.
Negligent Drivers
Frequently the cause of an Amazon delivery truck accident is the driver’s negligence. In law, negligence means that somebody did something careless, and their carelessness caused your injury. Negligence is broken down into four elements, or parts, that need to be proven in court to recover damages: duty, breach, causation, and injury. Duty means that the driver has a legal obligation to act as a reasonable driver should while on the road. Breach means that the driver failed to uphold that duty. Causation means that the driver caused your injuries, and finally, injury means that you were actually injured by the driver’s conduct.
Facts that could indicate that an Amazon driver was negligent include texting while driving, speeding, aggressive driving, or not paying attention while behind the wheel.
Improper Loading
Another less easy to spot cause of Amazon delivery truck accidents is improper loading of cargo. Amazon drivers make many deliveries in one go. That means that their trucks can be loaded down with too much cargo. This can make the truck behave differently, potentially making an otherwise safe driving maneuver result in an accident.
Sometimes, the delivery driver is responsible for loading the truck, but other times there are dedicated loading personnel. If either of those parties negligently loaded the truck, which led to an accident, you could have a claim against them.
Manufacturing Defects
Sometimes, a problem with the Amazon truck itself causes an accident. Manufacturing defects are mistakes made in the construction and maintenance of the truck. Faulty electrical wiring, incorrectly installed airbags, or the use of substandard materials are all examples of manufacturing defects that could result in an Amazon delivery truck accident.
Who Should You Sue in an Amazon Delivery Truck Accident Lawsuit
You need to bring your lawsuit against the correct entity. If you bring an action against the incorrect entity, the court is not going to find any wrongdoing, and you are not going to recover damages. For this reason, it is highly likely that you will not take Amazon itself to court in your lawsuit. Instead, you will likely take the third-party delivery truck company to court for your damages.
Amazon Does Not Employ Truck Drivers
The legal doctrine “respondeat superior” or “let the master answer” lets employers be found liable for their employee’s negligent actions so long as the employee was doing something work-related when the negligent conduct took place. For example, suppose a delivery truck driver hit you while driving out of a gas station while making a delivery, you could probably argue that the employer is liable for their employee’s conduct because getting gas is closely related to the driver’s job of getting a package delivered. On the other hand, suppose that same hypothetical driver decides to take their work vehicle to see their friend and play video games all day and hits you on the way there, the driver’s employer cannot be liable since going to a friend’s house is not a work-related activity.
The main reason you cannot sue Amazon for the driver’s conduct is that Amazon does not employ the drivers. Amazon delivery drivers are employed by third-party delivery companies that contract with Amazon. Because the driver is not employed by Amazon, respondeat superior does not apply.
Proximate Cause
Another reason you cannot sue Amazon is because of something called “proximate cause.” In a personal injury lawsuit, you need to prove not only that the defendant caused your injuries but also that the defendant is a closely related cause of them. In this instance, Amazon technically is a cause of your injuries since they employed the company that employed the driver, but they are not a proximate cause of your injuries. Amazon is too far up the chain of causation to be liable. The proximate cause would be the driver’s negligence and, vicariously, their employer, not Amazon.
Call Our Augusta, GA Amazon Deliver Truck Accident Lawyers Today
Our Amazon delivery truck lawyers with Howe Law are ready to give free over-the-phone case reviews at (844) 876-4357.
