Many people have relied on food delivery services, especially at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With more and more orders coming in, many food delivery drivers have the need to race against the clock to meet their daily target. Unfortunately, this is when some road accidents occur.

What Are The Common Types of Food Delivery Accidents?

While some accidents involving food delivery drivers happen because they are in a rush, many are because riders do not pay attention. Either they are checking orders on their phones or looking at street signs and landmarks if they are in an unfamiliar area.

Other causes of car accidents include:

  • Tailgating – This is when someone behind you is driving too closely. Accidents happen because the driver behind has no sufficient distance to stop when the car in front brakes suddenly, causing a collision.
  • Speeding – When someone drives at high speed, usually exceeding the speed limit.
  • Failure to yield – Accidents happen when drivers do not stop at a yield sign, stop sign, or traffic light and hit another car.
  • Failure to signal – Signaling before turning is required in every state. Failure to do so can cause accidents, resulting in severe injuries to drivers and passengers. You can be ticketed for failing to signal when changing lanes, exiting, merging, or turning.
  • Distracted driving – This includes texting or calling, and rummaging through a purse or glove compartment while driving.
  • Poor road conditions – Potholes, cracks, uneven surfaces, exposed rebar, broken concrete, potholes and sinkholes are examples of poor road conditions. They can become dangerous, to the extent of causing an accident.
  • Poor weather conditions – High winds, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, hail, and wildfires are some of the poor weather conditions that continue to cause car accidents.

Injuries Caused By A Food Delivery Accident

Car accidents can result in serious injuries. Some of these injuries can be permanent and fatal. Unfortunately, many times, victims don’t realize how serious their injuries are until weeks or months after the accident.

Some of the common types of injury caused by a food delivery accident include:

  • Spinal cord damage that can cause paralysis and quadriplegia
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussions, and other closed-head injuries
  • Herniated and bulging discs both to the back and cervical neck
  • Fractured and broken bones, such as pelvic bone, ribs, and breastbone
  • Fractured hip and other leg and knee injuries
  • Loss of sensation, paresthesia, and other nerve damage
  • Emotional and psychological trauma

Can I Sue a Food Delivery Driver’s Employer For My Injuries?

Yes. If a food delivery driver caused the accident, their employer may be held liable for damages. Therefore, you can sue the company instead of an individual driver for the injuries that you have sustained from the accident.

Under Michigan law, you may be entitled to receive no-fault insurance benefits to pay your hospital bills, lost wages, and other expenses. This means that you can first file a claim with the insurance company of the food delivery driver before suing the driver and his employer in court. However, if you think that the offer of the insurance company is insufficient, you can hire a personal injury lawyer in Michigan to file a food delivery accident lawsuit against the liable parties.

Remember that in negotiating for a settlement whether with the insurance company or the driver’s company, you should also consider adding pain and suffering, to cover for the mental anguish, physical pain, disability, and loss of life enjoyment that you suffered as a result of the accident.

Should I File A Police Report?

Yes. Michigan law requires drivers to report car accidents that have caused more than $1,000 in property damage, resulted in injury or death, or damaged an unattended vehicle or other property. In addition, you may be required by an insurance company to submit a written traffic crash report within 24 hours of your accident to qualify for insurance benefits. A police report will also be crucial when your personal injury lawyer in Michigan argues your case in court.

Do I Need A Food Delivery Accident Lawyer?

If you have been in an accident involving a food delivery driver, you need to talk to an experienced Michigan lawyer as soon as you are able. Your attorney will begin an investigation immediately by locating and interviewing eyewitnesses. They will also look at CCTVs on intersections and nearby buildings.

This needs to be done as soon as possible, as filing personal injury and insurance claims has strict deadlines. This is called the Statute of Limitations. You will not have a case if you miss this deadline, and any rights to a settlement in the future may be forfeited. In Michigan, you have three (3) years from the time of the injury within which to file an action to recover damages.

Let The Clark Law Office Handle Your Food Delivery Accident Case

There’s no one better to handle your case than the leading personal injury lawyers in Lansing and Okemos. At The Clark Law Office, our success stories can be seen through the millions of dollars we have successfully recovered for our clients. You can count on our 30 years of experience to help win your case, too. Call us at +1 (517) 347-6900 or fill out our contact form today.

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