Angelenos love their freeways, so long as they don’t have to be on them, and ordering from Postmates is one way to do that. The company became part of the region’s gig-economy in 2011 and quickly became a city-wide favorite courier primarily because they would deliver just about anything.

Postmates will deliver candy, tools, socks, and a milkshake if the customer orders it. They do a brisk fast food and deli lunch rush for working men and women. For those who tend to not get their hands dirty, they’ll also deliver a $3,400 dress to an upscale restaurant because someone got a little something on the one they were wearing.

Not all deliveries are extravagant. A Postmates’ courier once delivered a single carrot—that’s it, pay for a whole delivery fee and tip, just for a carrot. No one’s judging, and that’s the idea behind the company, order it, get it to your door asap.

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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

If you’ve been injured by a Postmates driver while you driving or out for a walk, you need to talk to an attorney right away. While you don’t have to hire the attorney, you should at least get free information. The insurance companies and their lawyers get paid for not giving you money. That’s their end game, and you need someone who knows their game plan and can stop them.

The bottom line is, they can afford to hire the best attorneys to keep you from getting any money, and you can’t afford to let them get away with it.

Contact an Auto Accident Attorney

The best thing to do when injured in an automobile accident is to talk to a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney who understands the complex insurance laws surrounding delivery drivers.

Call the Law Offices of Steers & Associates at 800 824 5416 or click here to contact us online. We have attorneys with years of experience dealing with every type of motor vehicle accident, and we get results against the insurance companies and their highly-paid lawyers. Call us now to even the playing field and get the compensation you deserve.

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