Delivery Traffic
Not all Postmates’ couriers drive cars, some use bikes and others walk, but the majority of them use some form of a motor vehicle because LA is spread out. So while ordering on the app allows the customer to stay off those infamous LA freeways and streets, it also adds to the mess by increasing the traffic volume and the risk of accidents.Who’s Going to Pay When You Get Hit by a Postmates Courier?
By all counts, the answer should be easy, whoever’s at fault for the accident has to pay. While this is true, it does make a difference where the money comes from. This might determine whether there is going to be enough.Driver’s Insurance
Postmates requires each driver to have personal insurance with the state minimum coverage, and in California, it is one of the lowest of all states at $15,000 bodily injury and $30,000 for each accident. If the courier is not actively delivering a product, then any accident caused by the courier will come from his or her personal insurance policy.So What’s the Problem?
First, $15,000 can go quickly in an auto accident, but there’s another potential problem with Postmates’ drivers getting a personal policy. Their carrier might not pay the claim if they find out the driver was delivering for a company. Why? Because if someone is using their car for commercial use, then they need a commercial policy, and the driver is required to inform their insurance carrier that they will be delivering items or risk having them not pay for the damages.Postmates on the Hook
Postmates does accept responsibility for any damages done by their delivery driver when the driver was on an active delivery. This means picking up the item and dropping it off with the customer. Any accident during that time, then Postmates will cover. Why is this a big deal? Because Postmates has much deeper pockets than a driver with a minimum insurance policy.Postmates Accident Common Injuries
For Postmates drivers, quirky deliveries are fun, but so is making money, and the best way to make fast deliveries and lots of them. The more deliveries, the more money a driver makes. While this is a good thing for making money and getting deliveries fast, it can add to the risk for everyone else out on the streets. When drivers take risks, accidents happen, and there are certain injuries that are common to delivery driver crashes. Anytime someone is in a hurry, they tend to speed, cut corners, race across parking lots and not always yield to the right-of-way. Some of these common injuries are:- Concussions/Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Blunt Force Trauma
- Broken/Displaced Ribs
- Broken Arms/Legs
- Shattered Wrists/knees
- Spinal Cord Damage
- Nerve Damage
- Paralysis
- Airbag Injuries