Does Doordash Cover Auto Accidents?

A motor vehicle accident can uproot your whole life, causing personal injuries and significant financial losses. It may be possible to recover compensation—but what happens when the responsible party caused the accident while working for a delivery service such as DoorDash? If you’ve been involved in a crash with one of the company’s couriers, you may be wondering: does DoorDash cover accidents?

What Are Some Important Things to Know About DoorDash and Accidents?

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.

The company uses as many as 100,000 couriers, whom it calls Dashers, to make deliveries to customers. Most of those Dashers are characterized by DoorDash as independent contractors, which means that they may not be treated as traditional employees 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.

DoorDash requires its drivers and couriers to maintain sufficient liability insurance coverage, meaning the minimum coverage required by the state where the courier is driving. Additionally, DoorDash provides excess liability insurance for its drivers, but that coverage only applies to accidents where the courier is on active delivery. The presence of potentially several insurance companies can complicate matters with your claim immensely, and consultation with an experienced motor vehicle lawyer is essential.

If you are involved in an accident with a DoorDash driver or courier, you may have a claim—typically, a claim of negligence—against multiple parties. For example, you may bring a claim against the driver or courier who caused the accident, as well as against DoorDash, if it may be proven that the company should be liable for the actions of its driver.

This claim may quickly become complex, though.

DoorDash’s business model hires its couriers as independent contractors, and the company may claim that it should not be responsible for the actions of third parties. It is best if you consult with an experienced motor vehicle lawyer so that you can go over your options, discuss your legal rights, and determine the best strategy for bringing a claim against the company.

To prove a negligence claim, you will need to prove two important issues: liability and damages. 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 your damages, which are both your out-of-pocket costs and your non-economic, general damages. Some examples of out-of-pocket costs after a DoorDash accident include medical bills, hospital bills, prescription costs, lost income if you cannot work, and repairs or replacement of your vehicle. Some examples of general damages include pain and suffering, the loss of future income if you cannot work in your job, the loss of enjoyment of activities you can no longer do, and a general decline in your quality of life as a result of the accident.

What Should You Do if You’ve Been Injured in a DoorDash Accident?

• Move to safety and assess the situation. Call the authorities to report the accident as soon as you can. Fill out any reports or give necessary statements to the authorities at the scene.
• Be sure you receive the medical care you need. Even if you are not sure about going to a hospital or getting checked out on the scene, doing so is important: many injuries do not manifest until days or even weeks after the accident. After the accident, continue to seek out medical care from your trusted providers.
• Get contact information and insurance information for the DoorDash driver, along with contact info for any witnesses at the scene. Take pictures of the scene, your injuries, and any damage to the vehicles. See if you can obtain a statement from witnesses that describes what they observed. It is very important to preserve important evidence that can help your claim.
• Call your insurance company to let them know about the accident. File a claim with the appropriate insurance companies as soon as possible—generally, there are strict deadlines and statutes of limitations in place that limit when a negligence claim may be filed.
• Contact an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney to discuss your options and legal rights. In your claim, you will be going against not only a large company but also large insurers that typically have significant resources and sizable legal teams. You should not try to go it alone: having a knowledgeable lawyer by your side can help even the playing field and ensure you have legal representation to help with your claims.
• Consult with your attorney before you provide any information or statements to the other parties or their insurance companies. It is very easy to say the wrong thing and get caught up in a war of words with the insurers that can affect the outcome of your claim. Get legal advice before speaking with the opposing party or their insurance company.

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

• Houston Doordash Accident Lawyers