Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers
As online shopping continues to grow in popularity, Amazon’s vehicles, from 18-wheelers and semi-trucks to delivery vans and box trucks, are an increasingly common sight on the roads and highways around the United States.
Unfortunately, the trend has also led to an increasing number of highway accidents involving Amazon trucks, some involving contracted drivers who never should have been allowed to sit at the wheel of a big rig. All too often, these crashes prove catastrophic for the innocent occupants of smaller passenger vehicles, who typically bear the brunt of the impact in a collision with any big rig.
Amazon’s Decentralized Approach to Deliveries
Few drivers tasked with making Amazon deliveries actually work for the company directly.
For so-called middle-mile deliveries, Amazon depends on truckers employed by small, independent third-party transportation contractors to transport goods from warehouses and manufacturing plants to distribution centers around the country. The company also engages thousands of gig workers to make “last mile” deliveries directly to customer doors – sometimes in their personal vehicles. Although Amazon screens its last-mile delivery drivers, it’s left to trucking contractors to ensure the truckers they hire for middle-mile deliveries meet all federal standards for operating a big rig.
While this decentralized approach has allowed Amazon to quickly scale its operations to meet consumer demand, it has also introduced significant safety risks. In fact, according to a recent CBS News analysis of Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMCSA) data, monthly violation rates—such as speeding and texting while driving—for the transportation contractors handling Amazon’s middle-mile deliveries were usually double those of carriers who didn’t transport for Amazon.
Causes of Amazon Truck Accidents
In just the last two years alone, at least 57 people have been killed in more than four dozen collisions involving Amazon’s middle-mile deliveries. Like any truck or 18-wheeler crash, an Amazon truck accident can occur for any number of reasons – reckless driving, speeding, distracted driving, lack of vehicle maintenance, and driver impairment, among others. However, Amazon’s business practices have created some unique risks that increase the likelihood of a wreck:
- Tight Delivery Timelines: Amazon promises customers delivery within just a couple of days of placing an order. With Amazon drivers under immense pressure to meet these tight deadlines, many give in to the temptation to speed or engage in other unsafe driving practices.
- Inexperienced and Unqualified Drivers: Experienced commercial drivers are in short supply these days. As a result, trucking companies contracted by Amazon often hire young drivers without the experience to safely handle a big rig. In some cases, they’ve even hired unqualified truckers whose criminal histories and unsafe driving records should have prevented them from passing federally mandated background checks.
- Driver Fatigue: Amazon drivers often work long hours, especially during the holiday season. Exhaustion reduces reaction time and could even cause a delivery truck driver to fall asleep at the wheel, increasing the likelihood of a severe or fatal crash. The gig drivers making local deliveries for Amazon aren’t even required to abide by the federal Hours of Service rules that limit how long an interstate truck driver can work without taking a break.
How to Protect Your Rights After an Amazon Truck Crash
If you or a loved one were hurt in an Amazon truck accident, it’s essential to understand that any large corporation and its insurance company will have the resources to bring in an army of attorneys and investigators to achieve one goal: save money by paying you and you and your family as little as possible, even if that means blaming you for the crash, questioning and downplaying your injuries, and doing anything else necessary to call your credibility into question.
If you’re going to obtain the maximum compensation possible for all of your injuries and losses, you must act just as quickly and every bit as aggressively:
- Call 911 Immediately: Your first priority should always be safety. Call 911 to report the accident and request emergency medical assistance if needed. Having law enforcement at the scene ensures that an official police report will be filed, which can serve as critical evidence later. Be sure to cooperate fully with the responding officers and provide accurate details about what occurred. However, stick to the facts, and don’t speculate about fault, even if you think you were partly to blame for the crash.
- Seek Medical Attention: Even if you feel fine initially, it is essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Some injuries, such as whiplash or internal trauma, may not manifest symptoms right away. A prompt medical evaluation not only protects your health but also creates a record of your injuries, which can be vital if you pursue a legal claim.
- Document the Scene If it’s safe to do so, gather as much evidence as possible from the crash site. Take photos of vehicle damage, skid marks, and road conditions. Be sure to record the truck driver’s contact and insurance information, as well as details about their employer. If there are witnesses, ask for their names and contact information, as their statements could support your case.
- Do Not Communicate With Amazon or Its Insurers: After the accident, you may be contacted by representatives from Amazon or the trucking company’s insurance carrier. While they might seem helpful, their goal is to minimize liability and reduce any payout. Avoid giving recorded statements or signing documents without consulting an attorney. Anything you say could be used against you to weaken your claim.
- Preserve Evidence: In our experience, a trucking company will act quickly to deflect responsibility after a crash, even if that means losing or destroying critical evidence. That’s why it’s crucial to preserve all evidence related to the collision, particularly the official police report and dashcam footage, if available.
- Keep Records of Your Medical Treatment: Maintain copies of all medical records, bills, and prescriptions related to your injury. Detailed documentation will help establish the extent of your injuries and the financial impact on your life.
- Don’t Discuss The Accident or Your Injuries: To avoid making statements that could be used against you, don’t discuss the Amazon truck accident or your injuries with anyone other than your spouse and your attorney. And never mention anything to do with your case on social media.
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If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in an Amazon truck accident, call 1-888-603-3636, use the chat form on our website, or send us a confidential email through our Contact Form.
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