The pressure on delivery drivers is relentless. Packages must arrive by a certain time, routes are monitored by GPS, and performance metrics can cost someone their job. Drivers skip breaks, rush through intersections, and make hasty decisions because falling behind means facing consequences from their employer. That urgency translates into accidents that leave pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists injured.
At Jay Murray Law, we represent people hurt by delivery trucks. These cases are different from ordinary car accidents because the companies involved have legal teams ready to minimize liability and shift blame. Drivers may be classified as independent contractors to avoid responsibility, or companies claim they had no control over the actions that caused the crash. We push back on those arguments and hold the right parties accountable.
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(214) 855-1420Why Delivery Truck Accidents Happen
Time Pressure and Unrealistic Schedules
Delivery companies optimize routes down to the minute. Algorithms decide how long each stop should take, how much time the driver has to find parking, and when they need to be at the next address. The problem is that algorithms don’t account for reality. Traffic jams, road construction, customers who aren’t home, and packages that require signatures all eat into the schedule.
Drivers who fall behind face pressure to catch up. That pressure leads to speeding, rolling through stop signs, and cutting off other vehicles to save a few seconds. Some drivers skip required rest breaks or work through lunch to stay on pace. Exhaustion sets in, reaction times slow, and mistakes happen.
Amazon drivers, in particular, operate under intense scrutiny. Their performance is tracked through handheld devices that record every delay. Falling below performance benchmarks can mean fewer shifts or termination. The same dynamics apply to UPS and FedEx drivers during peak seasons when package volume surges and delivery windows shrink.
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Distracted Driving
Delivery drivers juggle multiple tasks while driving. They check GPS for the next address, scan packages, confirm deliveries on handheld devices, and sometimes answer calls from dispatchers or customers. All of that happens while they’re supposed to be watching the road.
GPS reliance creates its own hazards. Drivers unfamiliar with Dallas neighborhoods follow directions from their devices without always paying attention to what’s ahead. They brake suddenly when the GPS announces a turn, make last-minute lane changes, or miss pedestrians in crosswalks because they’re focused on the screen instead of the street.
Package scanners and delivery confirmation devices require drivers to look away from the road. A few seconds of distraction is enough for traffic to stop, a child to step off the curb, or a cyclist to move into the driver’s blind spot.
Vehicle Maintenance Failures
Delivery trucks accumulate mileage fast. A vehicle that covers 150 miles a day needs frequent maintenance, but not all companies keep up. Brake pads wear down, tires lose tread, and steering components develop play. When companies prioritize keeping trucks on the road over keeping them safe, the consequences get passed to everyone else sharing the street.
Independent contractors who own their delivery vans face different pressures. Maintenance costs money, and time spent in the shop is time not earning income. Some skip oil changes, ignore warning lights, or drive on worn tires because they can’t afford the downtime or the repair bill.
Brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering malfunctions have all caused delivery truck accidents. When a mechanical defect is to blame, the question becomes whether the driver or company knew about the problem and ignored it, or whether routine inspections would have caught it.
Impairment and Fatigue
Most delivery drivers work long days. Shifts that start before dawn and stretch into the evening are common, especially during busy seasons. Fatigue affects judgment, slows reaction times, and increases the likelihood of crashes. A tired driver may not notice a red light, misjudge the distance to a stopped car, or fail to see a pedestrian crossing the street.
Drug and alcohol use among delivery drivers happens less frequently than fatigue, but it still occurs. Drivers who use substances to stay awake or manage stress put everyone at risk. Commercial drivers are supposed to be subject to drug testing, but enforcement varies, especially among independent contractors working for gig economy platforms.
Inexperienced Drivers
Delivery companies hire quickly to keep up with demand. Some drivers receive minimal training before they’re sent out with a full route. They may not know how to handle the vehicle in bad weather, how to check blind spots properly, or how to navigate tight residential streets. Learning on the job works until it doesn’t, and the people who pay the price are the victims of preventable accidents.
Gig economy platforms compound this issue. Drivers for Amazon Flex, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and similar services may have no professional driving experience at all. They use their personal vehicles to make deliveries, and they operate without the supervision or oversight that traditional delivery companies provide.
Common Injuries
Delivery truck accidents cause a range of injuries, from minor to catastrophic. The outcome depends on the speed of the vehicles, the type of collision, and whether the victim was in a car, on a bike, or on foot.
Head injuries occur frequently. Concussions, skull fractures, and traumatic brain injuries can result from impacts with the steering wheel, dashboard, or pavement. These injuries may not be immediately apparent, but symptoms like headaches, confusion, and memory problems develop later.
Spinal cord injuries can cause permanent paralysis. Damage to the neck or back affects mobility and can leave victims dependent on others for basic tasks. Even less severe back injuries like herniated discs cause chronic pain and limit what work someone can do.
Broken bones are common in delivery truck collisions. Arms, legs, ribs, and hips all fracture under the forces involved. Some fractures heal with casting and rest, but others require surgery, pins, or plates. Recovery can take months, and some people never regain full function.
Soft tissue injuries like whiplash, muscle strains, and ligament tears may seem minor compared to broken bones, but they cause real pain and limit mobility. These injuries often take longer to heal than expected and can lead to chronic problems.
Pedestrians and cyclists hit by delivery trucks face the worst outcomes. Without the protection of a vehicle, they absorb the full impact. Crushing injuries, internal bleeding, and multiple fractures are common. Some don’t survive.
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Who Can Be Held Liable
Figuring out who’s responsible for a delivery truck accident requires looking at the relationship between the driver and the company, how the accident happened, and whether others contributed to the crash.
The Driver
Drivers who cause accidents through negligence are liable for the injuries they cause. Speeding, running red lights, failing to yield, and distracted driving all constitute negligence. If a driver’s actions directly caused your injuries, they can be held accountable.
The Delivery Company
UPS and FedEx employ their drivers directly. When those drivers cause accidents while making deliveries, the companies are liable under respondeat superior, the legal doctrine that holds employers responsible for their employees’ actions during work. This applies even if the company did nothing wrong itself.
Amazon’s model is more complicated. Amazon contracts with Delivery Service Partners who hire drivers and manage fleets. When an Amazon-branded van causes an accident, questions arise about whether Amazon or the DSP is liable. Amazon often argues that it’s just a technology platform and has no control over the drivers, but courts have been skeptical of that argument when Amazon dictates routes, monitors performance, and controls nearly every aspect of how deliveries happen.
USPS operates differently because it’s a federal agency. Claims against the Postal Service fall under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which has specific notice requirements and shorter deadlines than regular personal injury claims. Missing these deadlines can forfeit your right to compensation.
Independent Contractors and Gig Workers
Delivery platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Flex classify drivers as independent contractors. This classification is meant to shield the company from liability, but it doesn’t always work. If the company exercises enough control over how drivers work, courts may find that they’re actually employees, which opens the door to holding the company liable.
Even when the independent contractor classification holds up, the driver can still be sued individually. The challenge is that independent contractors often carry minimal insurance, and personal auto policies may not cover commercial deliveries. That leaves injured parties with limited options for recovery unless the delivery platform can be brought into the case.
Third Parties
Sometimes other parties share responsibility. Manufacturers can be liable if a defective part caused the accident. Maintenance providers can be held accountable if negligent repairs contributed to the crash. Other drivers on the road can be at fault if their actions caused the delivery truck driver to swerve or brake suddenly.
Steps to Take After a Delivery Truck Crash
What happens immediately after an accident matters. The steps you take can affect your health and your ability to recover compensation.
Call 911. You need police on the scene to document what happened and file an accident report. You also need medical professionals to evaluate injuries. Some injuries don’t produce immediate symptoms, and having a medical record created close to the accident helps establish that your injuries came from the crash.
Document everything you can. Take photos of all vehicles involved, including close-ups of the delivery truck showing the company name, truck number, and any visible damage. Capture the position of the vehicles, road conditions, traffic signals, and anything else that seems relevant. If you’re too injured to do this yourself, ask a witness to help.
Get the driver’s information. That includes their name, contact details, driver’s license number, and insurance information. If they’re driving for a company, find out which one. Note whether the truck has company branding or if it’s an unmarked personal vehicle.
Talk to witnesses. If anyone saw the accident, get their names and phone numbers. Witness statements can confirm what happened and counter any claims from the delivery driver or company that you were at fault.
Don’t give a recorded statement to the delivery company’s insurance adjuster without legal representation. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions that can be used to reduce or deny your claim. What seems like a helpful conversation can hurt your case.
Seek medical attention even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks pain, and some injuries only become apparent hours or days later. A gap between the accident and your first doctor’s visit gives insurance companies an opening to argue that your injuries came from something else.
Keep records of everything related to the accident. Medical bills, prescriptions, diagnostic reports, repair estimates, pay stubs showing missed work, and all correspondence with insurance companies should be saved. These documents become evidence when it’s time to prove damages.
Contact a lawyer who handles delivery truck accident cases. These cases involve corporate defendants with resources and legal teams focused on minimizing what they pay. You need someone who knows how to investigate these accidents, identify all liable parties, and negotiate with insurance companies that don’t want to pay fair compensation.
Our Approach
We investigate delivery truck accidents by gathering evidence that insurance companies hope never to see the light of day. That includes obtaining the driver’s employment file, delivery logs, GPS data showing where the truck was and how fast it was going, and internal communications between the driver and the company about performance expectations.
Federal regulations require commercial drivers to maintain logs documenting their driving hours and rest periods. We obtain those logs and look for violations of hours-of-service rules. If a driver worked longer than allowed or skipped required breaks, that violation becomes evidence of negligence.
We also examine the delivery company’s hiring and training practices. Did they conduct background checks? Did they provide adequate training? Did they push drivers to meet quotas that made safe driving impossible? Companies that cut corners to maximize profits need to answer for the consequences.
When questions arise about how the accident happened, we work with accident reconstruction experts who can analyze the physical evidence and determine vehicle speeds, braking distances, and the sequence of events. Their reports carry weight in settlement negotiations and at trial.
We handle negotiations with insurance companies. Delivery truck cases often involve commercial policies with substantial coverage limits, but insurers don’t pay claims willingly. They’ll argue that you were partially at fault, that your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim, or that you’re asking for more than you deserve. We’ve heard it all before, and we know how to respond.
If settlement talks fail, we take cases to trial. We’ve represented clients in Dallas courts and know how to present evidence that persuades juries. Clear explanations of how the accident happened, testimony from credible experts, and demonstrative exhibits that show the impact of the collision form the foundation of our trial approach.
We work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. We cover the costs of investigation and litigation upfront, so financial concerns don’t prevent you from pursuing the compensation you deserve.
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Guidance for Gig Economy Drivers Injured While Working
If you’re a delivery driver for DoorDash, Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, or a similar platform and you were injured while making a delivery, your options depend on how the accident happened.
If another driver hit you, you can file a claim against their insurance. Your status as an independent contractor doesn’t affect your right to recover from a negligent third party.
If you were at fault or if the other driver didn’t have insurance, your options get more limited. Personal auto insurance policies often exclude coverage for commercial activities, which means your own insurance may deny the claim. Some gig platforms offer occupational accident insurance that covers medical expenses and lost income, but the coverage is often minimal and doesn’t include pain and suffering.
Workers’ compensation doesn’t apply to independent contractors, so you can’t file a claim against the platform the way an employee could. This gap in coverage leaves many gig workers with few options when they’re injured on the job.
If you’re hurt while working for a delivery platform, contact us. We can review your situation and help you understand what coverage might be available and whether you have grounds to challenge your classification as an independent contractor.
Free Consultation
If a delivery truck injured you in Dallas, we’ll review your case at no charge. Contact us by phone or through our website. We’ll listen to what happened, explain your legal options, and give you an honest assessment of what your claim might be worth.
Delivery truck accidents disrupt lives. Medical bills accumulate, income stops, and the insurance company isn’t in a rush to help. You shouldn’t have to fight this battle alone. We handle the legal work so you can focus on recovery, and you pay nothing unless we win.
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