Houston Doordash Accident Lawyers

Who doesn’t love a delivery — especially when what’s being delivered are some of your favorite restaurant meals or comfort items? In recent years, the use and popularity of delivery services such as DoorDash has exploded, with more and more customers signing up for the convenience of food delivery right to their doorsteps.

However, the magic of DoorDash can quickly dissipate if you’re involved in an accident with a courier or driver who works for the company. Motor vehicle accidents happen frequently, and some of them involve drivers who are in the middle of doing their jobs, including couriers working for DoorDash. If the courier was at fault, you may be able to hold them and DoorDash liable for the injuries you suffered in the accident.

What is DoorDash, and How Does it Operate?

DoorDash is a delivery service that operates in over 7,000 cities across the United States, along with several other international locations. It offers food and product delivery services, and it has as many as 32 million users, who have signed up to receive door-to-door delivery services from the company.

It’s important to note how DoorDash’s business model works: the company uses as many as 100,000 couriers, whom it calls Dashers, to make deliveries to customers. Most of those Dashers are independent contractors, which means that they are not treated as traditional employers by the company.

This is an important point, as it can sometimes affect what happens after an accident involving a DoorDash courier or driver. For example, it can affect the circumstances under which the company itself may be found liable for the negligence of its couriers or drivers.

What Are Some Examples of Accidents Involving DoorDash Couriers and Drivers?

There are various examples of accidents that can involve a driver or courier working for DoorDash. For instance:

• Your vehicle, or a vehicle in which you are a passenger, may be struck by a DoorDash courier. If the courier was at fault and failed to exercise reasonable care on the road, and you are injured, you may bring a claim for negligence against them to recover for your injuries.
• You may also bring a negligence action against DoorDash under vicarious liability, holding them responsible for the negligent actions of its courier. To recover compensation, you will need to prove that the courier acted within the scope of their employment duties, meaning that they were doing their job at the time of the accident, as well as establish that they were an agent, or employee, of the company.
• You may be hit by a courier working for DoorDash while you are on the road as a pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist. If you suffer injuries as a result of the driver’s actions, you may be able to sue for negligence.
• In some cases, the driver’s actions are a result of a lack of proper training, hiring, or supervision by the company. In that case, you may also bring a claim that DoorDash negligently hired, trained, or supervised its courier, which directly resulted in your injuries.
• You may file a claim with any insurance companies that are involved, such as the courier’s insurer or DoorDash’s insurance company. Both DoorDash’s policies and the laws of most states require couriers to carry sufficient insurance coverage to respond to any potential injuries caused by the courier on the road.

If you’ve been involved in any of these types of accidents, it’s probably best to contact a personal injury lawyer to understand your legal rights. 

Why Should You Consult with an Attorney if You’ve Been Injured in an Accident with a DoorDash Driver?

After an accident with a DoorDash courier or driver, your best bet is to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. A potential claim against DoorDash and its driver can quickly become complicated, and you will need to prove liability and damages as part of your negligence case.

This means proving that the driver and the company were directly responsible for your damages, having breached a reasonable duty of care on the road. It also means proving the full extent of your damages, both your out-of-pocket costs, such as medical bills and lost income and your general damages, such as pain and suffering and mental anguish. Issues of liability can be complex, particularly where several parties might be involved.

As part of your case against DoorDash and its driver, you will need to negotiate with the insurance companies involved. The goal of insurers, of course, is to minimize the amount of money they will offer to settle your claim. They often have sizable legal teams and financial resources on their side, which can make for an unbalanced power dynamic, particularly if you don’t have adequate legal representation.

An experienced motor vehicle lawyer can be immensely helpful with your claim. We will inform you of your legal rights and options and come up with a strategy for recovering compensation for your damages. We will also help you preserve important evidence, investigate the facts of your case, assess the full value of your damages, and build a strong claim on your behalf. Just as importantly, we will negotiate with the insurance companies towards a fair and reasonable settlement offer, helping you level the playing field against large insurers.

How Can Johnson Garcia Help With Your Accident Claim Against DoorDash and its Driver?

A claim against DoorDash and its driver involving negligence can be complex, raising various questions of liability and damages, particularly when insurance companies are involved. The attorneys at Johnson Garcia have more than 35 years of experience in helping victims of even the most serious motor vehicle accidents obtain sizable settlements and resolve their claims.

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of DoorDash or one of the company’s couriers, call our Houston-based legal team at Johnson Garcia. If the other party or their insurance company is not negotiating fairly, the personal injury attorneys at Johnson Garcia will file a lawsuit on your behalf and take your case to trial, if needed. We can be reached by phone at 832-844-6700.

Related Pages

• Does Doordash Cover Auto Accidents?