New York City Delivery Truck Accident Lawyers

NYC Accident Attorneys Helping People Hurt in Delivery Truck Crashes

With the rise of e-commerce, more and more trucks are making deliveries for people who have bought goods on Amazon and other online retailers. With so many delivery trucks on the streets, they are bound to get into accidents. And when they do, innocent motorists and pedestrians can suffer devastating injuries. For example, a pedestrian was struck in killed in Manhattan in Murray Hill in early 2019, just one of many accidents in recent years.

If you have been hurt in an accident, contact one of our Manhattan delivery truck accident lawyers for a free consultation.

Delivery Trucks

The most recognizable delivery trucks are for the most well-known companies, such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL, which deliver packages every day of the week. Other well-known box vans or cube trucks include U-Haul, which individuals can rent when they need to haul furniture to a new apartment or house.

Box trucks typically weigh 12,000-30,000 pounds, so they are a little heavier than many passenger sedans. They are also much larger, in a bulky “box-like” shape. Some box trucks are very difficult to maneuver, and drivers can strike pedestrians when they are not careful.

Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents Lawyer

Amazon’s famously efficient delivery has transformed the way we shop. Delivery now? No problem. But all those deadlines, timelines, promises, and hype are not without consequences. Amazon delivery drivers are under considerable pressure to perform, and all that pressure and rush can lead directly to dangerous accidents that are more likely to leave the occupants of other vehicles injured than they are the drivers behind the wheels in those massive Amazon trucks. A unique factor about Amazon delivery is that your packages are often brought to you via third-party carriers (some of whom are in business solely to serve Amazon), and this can make suing the at-fault party in an Amazon delivery truck accident that much more complicated (in the end, there may be more than one or even two parties involved).

FedEx Truck Accidents

While FedEx isn’t known for promising the world in terms of shipping packages, it is in hot competition with Amazon and UPS (the three major players), and it is playing to win. As a result, FedEx sees its own share of truck accidents born of negligence (on the part of the drivers and of the company itself), but FedEx is less likely to have a third-party delivery company involved in its delivery process. It’s important to note that the global pandemic has upped the demand for deliveries of every kind across the board, and this also plays a role in the tsunami of demand that major delivery companies like FedEx are experiencing – and responding to with varied success rates in terms of safety.

UPS Delivery Truck Accidents

UPS also built its empire on speedy deliveries, and it is not interested in ceding any of its success to the other guys. Even if you aren’t a frequent flyer when it comes to online shopping, you recognize the familiar brown delivery trucks and the familiar brown uniforms – because they are everywhere. UPS is in business to get the job done, and while they don’t guarantee the fastest delivery, they aim for it. In other words, when it comes to the big three (outside the U.S. Postal Service), there is an immense push to get there faster, and this increases the risk of accidents happening in all the following ways:

• Drivers who are in a rush are more likely to be distracted.
• Drivers who are in a rush are less likely to pay adequate attention to what is happening all around them.
• Drivers who are pushed to overperform can experience dangerous fatigue that translates to physical and cognitive impairment
• Drivers who are always under the gun can experience undue stress and anxiety that affects their ability to drive safely

Who Is Responsible?

When it comes to dangerous delivery truck accidents, there is often more than one at-fault party. Consider the following:

• The truck accident that leaves you injured may be the result of the truck driver’s negligence.
• The truck company that employs the truck driver, however, is responsible for its employees and may implement policies that actually contributed to or directly caused the accident.
• If the trucking company that employed the trucker is a third-party enterprise (such as a company that delivers for Amazon), you may have a case against both the third-party company and Amazon (if Amazon’s delivery now policies – or anything else – contributed to or directly caused the delivery truck accident).

Challenges Operating a Delivery Truck

Operating a delivery truck is often difficult because of the design of the truck. When someone rents and tries to drive a U-Haul, for example, they might be surprised by how different it is to drive when compared to a typical four-door sedan. Some of the unique challenges to delivery trucks include:

• Blind spots. The blind spots on these trucks are larger than on other passenger vehicles. Drivers need to use their mirrors and check their blind spot before changing lanes or streets.
• Rollovers/instability. A delivery truck typically has a higher center of gravity than other vehicles, which makes the truck vulnerable to rolling onto its side. Drivers must be careful taking corners.
• Maintenance issues. A fleet should be properly maintained with regular checkups. These trucks get a lot of use, and worn-out brake pads, faulty tires, and cracked windshields are common.

An inexperienced driver can easily make a mistake when driving one of these vehicles and end up causing serious injuries.

Operator Safety

Companies like UPS, FedEx, and DHL should take care to hire the best people to drive for them. Unfortunately, some delivery truck drivers are careless on the job and, as a result, end up getting into collisions.

Driver error can include:

• Cell phone or smartphone use while driving
• Distracted driving
• Drug and alcohol use
• Fatigue
• Time pressures
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Failure to yield
• Neglect to check all mirrors

When a delivery truck driver has negligently caused an accident, our clients are often able to sue both the driver and his employer for compensation.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a New York Delivery Truck Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured, or if a loved one has been killed, you might have a claim for compensation. Contact Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman today. We are a leading personal injury firm in New York City that has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. To schedule a free consultation, call 212-285-3300 or complete our contact form.