I was Involved in an Accident With an Amazon Delivery Driver

Many people rely on Amazon to deliver electronics, groceries, medications, and more to them on a regular basis. As reliance on Amazon has grown throughout the country, so has the number of Amazon delivery drivers on the roadway. However, what happens if you are involved in an accident with an Amazon delivery driver and Amazon vehicle?

Here, we want to discuss liability in these situations, which is not always cut and dry. Often, independent contractors are responsible for delivering Amazon packages, which can complicate the liability situation.

Amazon Drivers – Usually Independent Contractors

What most people do not understand about Amazon drivers is that they are typically not employees of the actual company. The vast majority of Amazon packages are delivered through the US Postal Service or, more and more nowadays, through the Amazon FLEX program, which employs independent contractors to ensure packages get where they are supposed to be.

When trying to understand the FLEX system, we encourage you to think about Uber and Lyft. Rideshare drivers do not work for the companies themselves. They deliver people to and from their destinations in their own vehicles and on their own schedules. Amazon FLEX drivers do not work for Amazon. They are independent contractors who own their own vehicles and deliver packages on their own schedule (in theory, on their own schedule, though Amazon does exercise that considerable amount of control over these drivers).

This has consequences, though, because Amazon delivery drivers typically have zero additional driver training other than having their own driver’s license. When we examine information from Amazon’s website, we see that FLEX delivery drivers are required to maintain minimum insurance required by North Carolina law on their vehicles. This is the same type of insurance that every other driver and the state carries. However, Amazon will provide FLEX drivers with an Amazon Commercial Auto Insurance policy that includes auto liability coverage, underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, and contingent comprehensive and collision coverage.

The additional Amazon insurance will only be active when the driver is carrying out their duties of delivering packages during their delivery time block.

If You Were in an Accident

Amazon delivery drivers can cause an accident in a variety of ways, just like any other driver on North Carolina roadways. This can include operating while impaired, distracted, fatigued, or failing to follow basic traffic laws.

Establishing liability in the aftermath of an accident involving an Amazon delivery driver can be tough, and it is imperative to involve the police so they can fill out a police report and conduct a preliminary investigation. Any person who sustains injuries must seek medical care as soon as possible.

We encourage any person involved in an accident with an Amazon delivery vehicle to contact a skilled Raleigh car accident attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer will handle every aspect of the claim, which includes investigating the incident, continuing to gather evidence in the days and weeks that follow the incident, and handling all communication with the insurance carriers and with Amazon directly. Crash victims should be able to recover a range of compensation, including medical bill coverage, lost wages, property damage expenses, and pain and suffering damages.