Delivery Drivers and Their Duties to Drive Safely

Posted On April 9, 2010 In Legal Information

In Virginia, a pizza delivery man killed two 5-year-old girls when he struck their minivan during a delivery run. An employee of Chanello’s Pizza, the man received 60 days in jail, a 90-day driver’s license suspension, and a $250 fine. Witnesses to the accident said that the driver ran a red light while en route to making a pizza delivery. A judge convicted the driver only of reckless driving, as prosecutors concluded that there was not enough evidence to convict him of a more serious manslaughter charge.

A UPS driver killed a newspaper editor and severely injured his 9-year-old daughter last fall in Washington D.C. when he ran a red light. Officials charged the driver with failure to stop at a red light, negligent driving, and failure to obey a traffic device. UPS officials immediately suspended and then, after an internal investigation, fired the driver. A Lufkin injury lawyer can provide the legal guidance and assurance you need if you have been involved in an accident with a delivery vehicle.

Delivery Driver Accidents

Despite time deadlines always bearing down on them, delivery drivers owe it to others on the road to drive safely. Some of the more common accidents that delivery drivers are involved in include:

• Accidents in urban areas. Delivery drivers pose more threats to others’ safety in congested areas. They are rushing to make deliveries and may ignore the many quick-moving pedestrians or cyclists in the area.
• Failure to engage the parking brake. Delivery drivers for services like FedEx and UPS commonly park their trucks just outside of the location where they are making a delivery. If they fail to engage the parking brake, the truck may roll forward or backward and cause damage.
• Accidents relating to trying to find an address. If drivers realize they passed an address, they may make quick turns or backup without stopping to make sure no one is in the way.
• Basic negligent driving. Delivery drivers from those delivering pizza to those delivering important overnight documents know that time is money. They sometimes disobey traffic laws in order to make their deliveries on time, and, when they do this, they put others’ safety at risk.

Unfortunately, delivery companies know and expect that their drivers will be involved in accidents at some point. They and their insurance companies will do their best to avoid giving you compensation if you are involved in an accident with a delivery driver. Be sure to contact an experienced Lufkin injury attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC if you have been hurt in an accident with a delivery driver.