As more and more people order products online, accidents with delivery trucks will continue to rise.
Whether you or a loved one sustains an injury due to a delivery truck driver or their employer, the attorneys at the Fob James Law Firm are here to help.
Commercial Accident Statistics
With increased intrastate and interstate commerce, delivery trucks are increasingly involved in accidents.
Some delivery companies are safer than others, but they all have extensive crash records.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps track of all delivery vehicles involved in accidents with injuries and fatalities.
For example, the FMCSA reported that FedEx had 2,730 crashes in the past 24 months. Around 912 of those had a reported injury, while 77 had a reported fatality.
The record for UPS is more or less the same. According to the FMCSA, drivers for UPS had 2,888 crashes in just two years.
More than a third of these accidents resulted in an injury or fatality. In addition, about 33% of inspections had a reported federal violation.
However, the safety record for official Amazon drivers is better than both FedEx and UPS. In 24 months, Amazon only had 150 accidents involving one of their drivers.
None of these crashes had a fatality, but about one-third of them involved a personal injury.
Common Causes of a Commercial Truck Accident
When it comes to delivery truck accidents, several potential causes may or may not have to do with the driver.
Carriers with quick shipping sometimes miss important vehicle repairs or make mistakes during the fulfillment process.
Maybe the driver isn’t qualified or makes poor, unsafe decisions.
In either case, some of the most common causes include:
- Speeding,
- Driver fatigue,
- Distracted driving,
- Poor driver training,
- Alcohol or drug use,
- Improperly loaded cargo, and
- Poor delivery vehicle maintenance.
As you can see, delivery truck accidents often involve a variety of factors other than the driver.
At the Fob James Law Firm, our delivery truck accident lawyer knows what evidence to look for when determining the cause of the crash.
Liability in a Delivery Truck Accident
In a truck accident, one of the most challenging elements is identifying the negligent party.
While many assume the driver is at fault, there may be other parties responsible for a preventable accident.
Here’s an overview of different parties that may share some liability for the crash:
- The truck driver: When hiring drivers, some companies don’t do proper background checks. Some may also provide little training for new drivers, leading to a higher risk of accidents.
- The delivery company: Ultimately, if the driver is an employee, their employer may be responsible for their actions. This is especially true if the crash occurred within the driver’s scope of employment.
- Third-party maintenance company or manufacturer: Sometimes, the company responsible for maintaining the trucks might fail to repair the vehicle. Although less common, the manufacturer of the vehicle may have provided the delivery company with a truck that has faulty parts.
Since these cases are incredibly complex, we highly recommend reaching out to a delivery truck accident lawyer.
Injured by a Negligent Delivery Truck Driver? Don’t Go It Alone
If you have a commercial claim against a delivery company, you don’t have to fight for your recovery alone.
At the Fob James Law Firm, we have 40+ years of experience representing clients in Alabama injured by negligent individuals.
We will listen to your story and develop a legal strategy to deliver the best results.
Call us today at 205-407-6009 or send us a message to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.