Food delivery platforms have witnessed significant growth in the past decade. This growth can be attributed to various factors, with convenience at the forefront. However, these platforms have garnered attention for the rising number of accidents.
Last year, the Colorado Supreme Court ordered DoorDash to produce crash data involving its drivers. This happened when the food delivery platform was defending one of its food delivery drivers who crashed and injured a man to the point where leg amputation became necessary. In another incident, a DoorDash driver crashed into a vehicle and injured two people while intoxicated.
These incidents suggest that DoorDash accidents are common. You can take safety measures to protect yourself from accidents. But sometimes, accidents cannot be prevented.
In this article, we’ll discuss what you should do if you’re involved in a car accident with DoorDash.
Can You Recover Damages if You’re Involved in a Car Accident With a DoorDash Driver?
You can recover damages if you get involved in a car accident with a DoorDash driver. States like Arizona, Alaska, and California follow pure comparative negligence law. In other states, like Arkansas, Georgia, and Colorado, modified comparative negligence law applies.
Regardless of their fault, both parties can seek compensation under pure comparative negligence law. However, the settlement amount is reduced by fault. Under modified comparative negligence, you are eligible for compensation only if you’re 50% responsible for the accident. If your fault exceeds 51%, you cannot recover damages.
3 Things to Do After a Car Accident With a DoorDash Driver
if you find yourself in an unfortunate situation of getting into a car accident involving a DoorDash driver, here’s what you should do:
1. Ensure Safety and Report the Accident
After an auto accident, it’s advised to stay on the scene. Sure, you must do that, but ensure your and others’ safety by moving to a safe location away from the traffic. Consider moving your vehicle to the side of the road. If moving vehicles isn’t possible, turn on hazard lights.
If you’ve sustained severe injuries, seeking medical treatment must be your priority. Calling 911 will send an ambulance and the police to the scene. Police officers will investigate the scene and may even ask questions about the crash. Cooperate with them fully.
2. Document the Scene
Before the vehicles are moved or you leave the scene, document the accident. Take pictures of the vehicles involved from multiple angles. Make sure to capture the damage to your vehicle and the injuries you’ve sustained due to the crash.
Be sure to also capture other details such as the state of the road, the weather conditions, traffic volume, and the position of the vehicles. Note down the date and time of the accident. This is crucial because you’ll need them to support your claims and establish liability.
Don’t forget to gather the information from the witnesses present. Ask for their names and contact details. Your lawyer might approach them when filing a personal injury lawsuit. All these details will serve as valuable evidence during the claims process.
3. Take Down the Driver’s Information
Keith Law Group advises car accident victims to collect the other party’s information whenever they are involved in an accident. That means you must ask for the DoorDash driver’s name, identification number, contact details, car details, and insurance provider.
Jotting down the driver’s information is important because you will have to notify DoorDash about the accident. DoorDash’s commercial liability insurance provides coverage up to $1,000,000, but there’s a catch. You’re eligible for coverage only if the accident occurs during the “delivery available” or “delivery service” period.
The period when a driver logs into the DoorDash Driver app and is available to accept requests from the company to deliver food is the delivery available period. The delivery service period involves all activities, from accepting a delivery request on the app to marking it delivered, canceled, or unassigned.
The delivery service period applies to all 50 states in the U.S. But, the delivery available period is applicable only in North Dakota.
However, every driver is required to carry auto insurance that meets their state’s requirements. In Alaska, the minimum coverage limit is 50/100/25– $50,000/per person for bodily injuries, $ 100,000 for bodily injuries for each accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
The minimum coverage limit in Alabama, for instance, is 25/50/25, i.e., $25,000/person for bodily injury, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Alaska also requires drivers to carry liability coverage of 25/50/25.
Jotting down insurance details can help you claim compensation for the injuries you sustained when the driver collided with you during the delivery available period. You can share the details with a Rogers car accident attorney if you live in Arkansas or a Birmingham car accident attorney if you live in Alaska.
A car accident attorney can help you prove that the accident occurred when the driver was on the delivery available period. Thus, your chances of winning fair compensation will increase.
To wrap things up, if you find yourself in a car accident involving a DoorDash driver, taking swift action is crucial. Prioritize your and others’ safety, but be sure to document the accident by taking pictures.
Don’t forget to note the driver’s details. Also, notify DoorDash right away. Informing them about the accident well in advance with a DoorDash driver’s car will expedite the claims process.
Be sure to also inform your insurance company about the incident. In case you’re interrogated, never admit fault. Pursuing a car accident claim against a DoorDash driver is difficult. For that reason, we advise you to hire a lawyer. They will help you navigate the accident’s aftermath confidently.
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