Who is liable in an accident with an Amazon truck? In an accident with an Amazon truck, the truck driver, Amazon, the shipper, and the party responsible for loading the truck can all be held liable.
Amazon vehicles navigate city streets and highways, delivering packages to homes, businesses, and pick-up areas thousands of times each day. To determine liability, you must obtain evidence that demonstrates the accident’s cause and the driver’s or company’s negligence and work with a Salt Lake City Amazon truck accident lawyer to prove your case.
Determine Who is Driving the Truck
Amazon has numerous strategies for hiring and using independent contractors or third-party organizations to handle package delivery. Who is behind the wheel is one of several factors that determine liability, which could mean more than one party is responsible.
Some of the people behind the wheel of Amazon trucks are employees. Others are a part of the Delivery Service Partner program, which enables the company to use independent contractors or separate businesses to manage the delivery of mass amounts of packages. This may shift some of the fault in an accident.
One of the most important reasons to work with an attorney is that the delivery giant will take any step it can to mitigate risk. That often means shifting blame to its independent contractors. That is not always in the victim’s favor, though, after an Amazon truck accident.
Consider the Types of Amazon Truck Drivers That Could Be Delivering in Your Area
Amazon Flex drivers are individuals who operate like rideshare drivers like Uber, picking up packages in private vehicles and dropping them off at destinations.
Amazon Hub Delivery partners tend to be other small businesses, such as the local coffee shop, that have a contract with Amazon to make local deliveries. Delivery Service Partners are third-party companies Amazon contracts with to deliver packages.
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Proving Liability in a Truck Accident
To prove liability in any type of truck accident, the victim must demonstrate that the other party was negligent. Negligence is more than simply believing the other party is responsible; instead, it requires finding evidence to substantiate such claims.
There are four components to this process that a Salt Lake City truck accident lawyer can help prove:
- Establish duty of care. A truck driver must obey the laws of the road when sharing it with other drivers.
- Demonstrate a breach of duty of care. Find evidence to show the defendant breached that duty of care, which may be due to action or inaction, such as violating the law.
- Create a clear link between the breach and the cause of the accident. Whatever the Amazon truck driver did must have directly caused the accident.
- Suffer losses you can prove. This includes demonstrating physical and financial losses in an accident.
If you have these four elements, you can then seek liability against any involved party. That could be the Amazon truck driver if they are at fault or Amazon itself. Other parties could also be at fault, including third-party organizations and other drivers on the road with you.
Determining the Cause of an Amazon Truck Accident Can Help
To determine which party is liable for your Amazon truck accident and injuries, we must understand the cause of the accident. Police reports, witness statements, and other evidence obtained during an investigation can demonstrate who holds responsibility for your losses. This can include more than one party, such as:
- Driver fatigue: Fatigue is a common issue for Amazon semi-trucks or other drivers who work long hours on the road. If applicable, both the driver and the employer could be responsible if they are not compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of Service regulations.
- Poor cargo storage: If the cargo on a truck shifts, that’s going to make it harder for the driver to maintain control. The cargo loading company could be to blame for your accident.
- Driver intoxication: A driver unfit for the road due to alcohol or drug impairment is likely directly responsible for the losses they cause. This includes situations where prescription medications alter ability.
- Reckless driving: The Amazon driver may be liable in situations where they speed, tailgate, illegally change lanes, or otherwise operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner.
- Vehicle breakdowns: The truck owner could be responsible for the vehicle’s failed maintenance in situations where a tire or brake failure causes an accident.
- Driver inexperience: In situations where a driver lacks proper training or experience to handle the vehicle, especially in large Amazon trucks like 18-wheelers, that could be a factor in an accident. If the company employing them knew that, they could be liable.
In each of these situations, it is critical to understand all factors related to the accident so that you can seek compensation from the at-fault driver or all parties involved.
That may be just the Amazon truck driver in situations of recklessness or impairment. It could also include a third-party organization if you can demonstrate they were responsible.
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Who Pays for Your Losses Depends
Assigning liability for an Amazon truck accident leads to payment from the at-fault party. Consider some of the various situations that could play out in your case.
With the guidance of an Amazon truck accident lawyer, you will be able to minimize the risk of not receiving fair compensation.
- In situations where Amazon employs the driver, they maintain responsibility for ensuring that the driver is fit for the job and capable of providing safe services, making Amazon responsible for your injuries and losses.
- If a third-party organization or independent driver is behind the wheel when an accident occurs, that driver is held accountable, and their insurance covers your losses.
- If another vehicle strikes the truck or the city’s poorly maintained roadways cause the damage, that organization could be liable.
It is confusing to determine what happened in your situation. Insurance companies have no desire to inform you of all of your rights. That is why you need a Salt Lake City delivery truck accident lawyer working solely for you.
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Hiring an Amazon Truck Accident Lawyer is Critical
To determine who is liable for an accident with an Amazon truck, seek out the help of an Amazon truck accident lawyer. At Siegfried & Jensen, we work diligently to investigate your case so that fair assignment of liability occurs.
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Call or text (801) 266-0999 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form