Delivery vehicles for Amazon are on the road almost every day. It is not unusual for people to report accidents with these vehicles, and injured victims should be appropriately compensated.
To begin a lawsuit after a crash with an Amazon delivery truck, you should determine who is responsible. The obvious choice of suing the delivery driver is not always the only choice. You should also consider suing the driver’s employer. This is often tricky, as many drivers do not actually work for Amazon but are independent contractors or work for delivery service partners. You must next analyze your injuries and damages to determine how much compensation you are entitled to. We must present evidence supporting your claims and establishing the defendant’s negligence to be awarded compensation. Factors often associated with Amazon delivery truck collisions include, but are not limited to, distracted drivers, speeding, and improperly secured loads in the delivery truck. The best time to sue is now. The longer you wait, the harder it might be to prove your claims.
Schedule a free case evaluation by calling (844) 876-4357 and speaking with our Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers at Howe Law.
How to Begin a Lawsuit for an Accident with an Amazon Delivery Truck in Vestavia Hills, AL
People tend to associate lawsuits with dramatic courtroom scenes, impassioned attorneys, and angry judges. In reality, most of the work that goes into a lawsuit happens before the case sees the inside of a courtroom. To prepare your lawsuit, you and your lawyer must make several crucial decisions and find important information about evidence and damages.
Who is Liable?
Figuring out who is liable for your accident is among the very first steps in your case. For some, this answer is clear from the beginning. The Amazon delivery driver hit you, so they must be held responsible. While suing the driver is often a good start, they might not be the only liable party.
Depending on how the driver is employed, you might also be able to sue the delivery service business or company. Unfortunately, this usually does not include Amazon.
Plaintiffs often do not realize that the delivery driver that hit them does not work for Amazon. Amazon tends to hire independent contractors or uses delivery service partners to drive delivery routes. Delivery service partners are often other delivery companies with contractors to deliver Amazon parcels and packages in their area.
Generally, you may hold the delivery service partner liable for their employee’s negligence. However, since the delivery driver is technically not an Amazon employee, Amazon is usually off-limits. Be sure to discuss the issue with your attorney. Our Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers can help you investigate and determine who the driver’s employer really is.
Analyzing Potential Damages
Another critical step is analyzing and assessing your damages. While damages are awarded at the end of a trial, they are determined long before the case is even filed. You and your lawyer must evaluate your injuries and calculate how much your damages are worth.
This is often done by adding up economic costs and assessing non-economic injuries. Economic damages typically consist of monetary expenses related to your accident. Medical bills usually lead the charge of economic damages, but there might be others to consider. You can claim the value of destroyed property, such as your vehicle and various personal items lost in the crash. You should also consider any income you lost because you were too injured to return to work.
Your non-economic injuries are more subjective and might not have a predetermined value. For example, physical pain, psychological trauma, emotional anguish, and other distressing experiences should be claimed as part of your damages. Usually, the jury will have the final say on how much these damages are worth. As such, we must present evidence demonstrating how deeply your non-economic damages impacted your life.
Preparing Evidence
You need evidence to win your case and get compensation. If you do not have evidence to support your claims, the court might throw out your case before it gets to trial. When filing the initial complaint, we need at least enough evidence to show that you have a valid cause of action. Once we get to trial, we need enough evidence to prove that the defendant is more likely than not liable for your injuries.
Evidence often comes from the location of the accident. Photos, security camera videos, and eyewitness testimony are paramount to your success. We must also make sure that our evidence is admissible in court. The evidence can only be presented in court if it meets strict evidentiary standards.
Factors Commonly Involved in Vestavia Hills, AL Amazon Delivery Truck Accident Lawsuits
Numerous circumstances might lead to a collision with an Amazon delivery truck. One example is accidents related to distracted driving. With cell phones, blue tooth devices, and GPS now capable of syncing with your vehicle, distractions behind the wheel permeate our driving culture. Amazon delivery drivers often use phones and GPS to navigate delivery routes and communicate with supervisors. As such, they might frequently take their eyes off the road.
Speed is a factor in many accidents, if not most of them. Amazon drivers sometimes speed because they are on very tight delivery schedules. They must make many deliveries in a short period, and speeding is often necessary to get the job done. Even so, that does not mean they should be allowed to put other drivers in danger, and they should be held liable for any accident they cause.
Delivery trucks usually have a lot of cargo in the back. As such, cargo load must be safely secured so that nothing is displaced or damaged when drivers navigate turns or suddenly stop for some reason. Unfortunately, many delivery drivers fail to secure loads properly. The load might shift in transit and distract the driver from the road. This is especially problematic if the delivery truck does not separate the cargo space in the back from the driver area up front. In that case, boxes might fly forward and hit the driver, causing them to swerve or slam the brakes.
Call Our Vestavia Hills, AL Amazon Delivery Truck Accident Lawyers for Help Now
Set up an appointment for a free case evaluation by calling (844) 876-4357 and talking with our Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers at Howe Law.
