Delivery of packages, messages, and food while using your own vehicle can involve considerable risk to yourself and your employer. Delivery accidents can cause long term physical injuries and trauma that can easily exceed the victims ability to deal with them. In addition to the usual issues that an injured driver must deal with like medical expenses and financial loss, there is liability on the part of the employer to establish.
The need to determine liability can arise in cases in which a driver is involved in an accident and sues his or her employer for a company policy that is not enforced or posed a hazard to the employee. In other words, the establishment of liability depends on whether or not there is some legal reason for assigning responsibility to the employer.
When someone is hurt in a work-related car accident, workers’ compensation coverage through their employer doesn’t always cover the full cost of damages. Depending on the circumstances of a job-related auto accident, the victim may be entitled to recover additional compensation through other claims or lawsuits.
When this elderly couple was involved in a deadly crash, it was determined that both the driver and the employer shared responsibility for the accident.
Liability for a Deadly Crash On the Job
The family of a Southeast Texas couple involved in a deadly crash caused by a delivery driver was awarded $32 million this week after a jury determined the pizza chain shared responsibility for the accident by not enforcing a policy that its drivers’ vehicles be inspected.
The crash occurred after the delivery driver lost control of his car while delivering a pizza, hitting another vehicle carrying a 65-year-old woman and her husband. The woman later died from her injuries and the husband sustained permanent traumatic brain injury.
The accident was attributed to defective, worn tires on the delivery vehicle. One tire had no tread. The driver was also cited for speeding.
The jury, in its verdict, determined the employer was 60 percent responsible for the accident for not enforcing the vehicle inspection policy with its franchises.
An attorney for the couple’s family stated, “We also learned that [the company] enforces a tragically unsafe delivery method by providing bonuses and other incentives for fast delivery.”
If you have been involved in a car accident while performing your work duties and you need the services of a Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles please contact us at (323) 947-2224 or visit the Personal Injury section on our website at the DAG Law Firm. Call today and we will connect you with Daniel A. Gibalevich, an experienced, aggressive, affordable Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles. After you have spoken with our Los Angeles Personal Injury Law attorney, we can schedule you a free face to face appointment to discuss your circumstances. If you have questions or are considering any aspect of Personal Injury Law, we can help! Call us now at (323) 947-2224. We look forward to hearing from you and assisting you with any and all Personal Injury Law needs.
