Amazon has grown into a gargantuan global entity with dealings in nearly every facet of commerce. Perhaps some of the most recognizable emblems of Amazon are its blue delivery trucks. There are so many trucks on the road that accidents are common.
Reckless driving, including speeding, is a common factor in crashes with Amazon delivery trucks. Driver fatigue and inexperienced drivers are also significant concerns. Liability for an accident with an Amazon delivery truck often falls to the delivery driver, although other parties might share liability. Amazon is usually shielded from liability and cannot be sued. Still, a private company that hired the driver and had a contract with Amazon might be vicariously liable for the crash. In your lawsuit, you can claim damages for economic losses, primarily medical expenses, and non-economic injuries, like pain and suffering.
Amazon delivery drivers should not be risking other drivers’ safety to deliver a package on time. Our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers can help you sue for damages and compensation. For a free case assessment, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Possible Causes of Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents in Tennessee
Accidents can happen for various reasons, and Amazon delivery truck accidents are no exception. It is crucial that you discuss the details of the accident with an attorney as soon as possible. How your accident happened might shed some light on who is liable and how our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers can help you.
Reckless Driving
Amazon delivery drivers are frequently pushed to make deliveries as quickly as possible. In fact, Amazon has garnered a reputation for making very speedy deliveries. Unfortunately, delivering packages so quickly often means delivery drivers drive faster and more recklessly on the road.
Failing to make deliveries on time might cost a delivery driver their job, so they might be more inclined to violate traffic laws and speed to get the job done quickly. Many accidents with Amazon delivery trucks have resulted from reckless drivers trying to do their job as fast as possible.
Driver Fatigue
Another significant problem in Amazon delivery truck crashes is driver fatigue. Not only are drivers moving very quickly, but they often have many packages to deliver. Although Amazon insists its drivers take breaks and get enough rest, the truth is that many drivers work very long hours with few, if any, breaks. As such, driver fatigue is a huge problem, and many crashes have occurred because delivery drivers were too tired or even fell asleep at the wheel.
We might prove that driver fatigue played a role in your accident by examining work logs and records maintained by the driver. If the driver had been working for a very long time with no documented breaks or rest periods, fatigue was likely a significant contributing factor to the collision.
Inexperienced Drivers
Amazon has such a huge delivery network that it is almost constantly hiring new drivers. The need for so many drivers often means that people with little to no experience end up behind the wheel of Amazon delivery trucks.
Inexperienced drivers might be unfamiliar with operating a vehicle as large and cumbersome as a delivery truck. They might also be more likely to violate traffic laws or make mistakes behind the wheel that could injure other drivers.
Liability for Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents in Tennessee
Part of what makes accidents with Amazon delivery trucks so complicated is that multiple parties might share liability. While the delivery driver is often the first person our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident attorneys will look into, others might also be liable and should not be overlooked.
The Delivery Driver
The delivery driver is often the primary defendant in a lawsuit related to an accident with an Amazon delivery truck. The driver is the person behind the wheel whose actions or inactions directly cause the crash. Even if no other parties are liable, we should always name the delivery driver in the lawsuit. They are required by law to carry insurance that can be used to cover your damages. Our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers can help you investigate the driver and other parties involved in the collision.
Amazon
As discussed in more detail below, employers are sometimes vicariously liable for the negligent actions of employees. One might think that Amazon would be liable for the negligence of delivery drivers, but this is normally not the case. Most drivers working for Amazon are not legally considered Amazon employees. Instead, Amazon typically has contracts with other delivery service companies and drivers. Since vicarious liability does not apply in cases involving independent contractors, Amazon is often shielded from liability.
Even so, it is sometimes worth trying to sue Amazon. The company is known for aggressively micromanaging its delivery drivers, even though they are not legally considered employees. With such a degree of control over how drivers do their jobs, many people in the legal field believe Amazon should be held liable for driver negligence.
Other Delivery Service Companies
As briefly discussed, employers may be vicariously liable for employees’ negligence. According to the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer might be vicariously liable for the negligent behavior of an employee if that negligence occurred within the scope of the employee’s job.
Since Amazon often contracts with other delivery service companies, those other companies might be held vicariously liable for the crash because their employee was behind the wheel. This is more common in cases where a delivery service company with a contract with Amazon employs the driver. Accidents with Amazon Flex drivers do not usually involve employer liability because they are independent drivers using their own vehicles.
Damages You Can Recover in a Tennessee Lawsuit for an Amazon Delivery Truck Accident
Economic damages encompass financial losses related to the accident. For example, medical bills and the cost of replacing your damaged vehicles after the crash are considered economic damages. You might also claim lost income if you were too injured to return to work. Our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers can help you identify and tally up all your economic losses from the accident.
Non-economic damages are less concrete and more subjective than economic damages. Non-economic damages often do not cost plaintiffs any money. Instead, plaintiffs are compensated for the painful personal experiences they endured because of the crash. Physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation, and damage to your reputation are possible non-economic damages.
Call Our Tennessee Amazon Delivery Truck Accident Lawyers
If you were recently injured in a collision with an Amazon delivery vehicle, you should speak to an attorney about how to get compensation for your damages. Contact our Tennessee Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers for a free case review. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
