Amazon is the largest online marketplace for Americans, and in 2020 it became a larger delivery service than FedEx, delivering 4.2 billion parcels that year. As a result, there are many delivery people sharing the road with Houston residents. Unfortunately, investigative reports and individual experiences have shown that Amazon trucks and drivers do sometimes cause injuries and car collisions on our streets.

If you’re injured in an Amazon truck accident, facing the largest e-retailer in the country as you make a claim can be intimidating. Should you find yourself in this situation, contact Johnson Garcia Law to work with an experienced lawyer to sue Amazon so you can pursue the compensation you need to pay for medical bills, lost income, and other losses.

What Kinds of Personal Injuries Are Commonly Related to Amazon Trucking or Commercial Vehicles?

Amazon works with what they call “delivery service partners,” which are small businesses that hire the approximately 250,000 drivers that deliver Amazon packages and orders. The average Houston driver may be passing by many Amazon delivery trucks and vehicles every day without realizing it since these trucks are operated by third parties and do not typically have the Amazon logo on them. At any time, these commercial vehicles can cause serious collisions, including:

  • Head-on car accidents
  • Rear-end shunt accidents
  • Pedestrian accidents
  • Wrong-way collisions
  • Backover injuries
  • Intersection collisions
  • Multiple-vehicle crashes

Since Amazon drivers may use larger trucks or commercial vehicles, these traffic accidents can lead to back injuries, fractures, lacerations, whiplash, soft tissue injuries, brain trauma, crushing injuries, amputations, and other serious injuries. Amazon collisions can even lead to fatalities and permanent disability, leaving individuals unable to return to work or to care for themselves.

How Might Amazon Injuries Occur?

Injuries involving Amazon trucks are often preventable. These injuries occur because a truck driver rear-ends a vehicle, crashes into another car, or makes another type of preventable error. Amazon often relies on contractors, not employees, to deliver its orders, and these drivers are often under significant pressure, which can lead to collisions and injuries in many ways:

  • Amazon drivers do not have set routes and may be tasked with going to unfamiliar neighborhoods, where they may be more focused on finding an address than driving safely.
  • Drivers for Amazon are contractors for other companies, and may not always be highly trained, especially during busy periods when delivery service partners may feel pressure to hire more workers to meet demand.
  • Amazon drivers face strict deadlines due to Amazon’s fast delivery times, and this can put pressure on them to speed or to make poor decisions to save time.
  • Drivers for Amazon have a financial incentive to deliver — and drive — fast. They can lose money and opportunities if they do not meet their delivery targets.
  • Amazon drivers who are running behind in their schedule may be getting communications from their employer, which can cause distracted driving collisions.
  • Drivers for Amazon may have many deliveries to make, especially during busy times, which can lead to fatigued driving and resulting collisions.
  • Drivers may be so focused on deliveries and their schedule that they may fail to notice pedestrians, street signs, or other cars, which can lead to driving mistakes and crashes.

As is evident from these descriptions, many injuries and collisions caused by Amazon trucks are not unexpected accidents at all. Many are the result of high delivery volumes and policies that place emphasis on fast deliveries.

Why Is Suing in Such Cases Often the Best Idea?

Amazon has already argued in court that it is not responsible for the actions of its contractors and the company has taken steps to protect itself from liability, even as experts raise concerns about the ways that tight deadlines for deliveries may put dangerous stressors on drivers. If you have been injured in an Amazon truck accident, it may be difficult to secure compensation unless you work with a lawyer to sue Amazon. It is likely the contractor will blame Amazon and Amazon will allege liability rests with the contractor, leaving you in the middle.

An experienced lawyer against Amazon is familiar with these “pass the blame” tactics and will work to create a strong case for you. An experienced attorney will locate evidence, file a claim, review the contracts between the delivery driver and Amazon, and uncover all potentially liable parties to create the strongest chance of recovery.

How Do You Find a Good Lawyer Against Amazon?

Make no mistake: if your injuries were caused by Amazon or drivers contracted for Amazon, you’re going to need experienced attorneys because larger corporations work with top legal talent to protect themselves from liability. When looking for an attorney, look for:

  • Someone who has represented plaintiffs who have suffered Amazon injuries and who has experience pursuing claims against Amazon or similar companies, their delivery service partners, and similar organizations.
  • An attorney with strong communication skills – someone you feel comfortable with and who will keep you up-to-date about your case.
  • Someone who has trial experience, since Amazon and its contractors may not be willing to make a settlement offer.
  • An attorney who is not interested in taking the first lowball offer but is dedicated to securing the compensation you need.
  • A lawyer with a quantifiable record of success.

If you’re looking for an attorney with all these characteristics, contact Johnson Garcia Law. Our law firm has a track record of results and we are dedicated to helping injured people recover fair compensation. We have taken claims to state and federal courts across Texas if necessary. Our team is conscientious about keeping our clients informed about the status of their cases. We’re here to help.

What’s The Process Likely Going to Be Once You Retain an Attorney?

Once you retain an attorney, your lawyer will examine the facts of the case, review any evidence available, and work to find the liable parties, which may include Amazon, third-party companies hiring drivers, the drivers themselves, and other parties. Your attorney will handle all the details of the claim, from filing the paperwork to engaging in negotiations.

Once a lawsuit has been filed, all parties named in the claim will have a chance to reply. During the discovery process, all parties will seek out additional information and will need to share any information they uncover. As part of the process, you may be interviewed by attorneys for the at-fault party. If you are required to do this, your attorney can help you prepare.

At any point in the process, both sides can reach a settlement. If no agreement can be reached, your case may work its way through the courts.  

What Kind of Recovery Might Be Available?

Settlements involving Amazon injuries can potentially range from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. A settlement is never guaranteed, but cases involving more serious injuries – including ones that result in loss of life or permanent, debilitating injury – will generally be able to result in larger settlements than broken bones and injuries from which a plaintiff is expected to fully recover. 

The best way to determine what kind of recovery may be possible is to speak with a Houston personal injury attorney. An experienced attorney has worked on similar cases and has an understanding of the range of settlements that can be expected in your case. 

How Can Johnson Garcia Law Help?

At Johnson Garcia Law, we have dedicated ourselves to representing those who need help, which is why we work with injured individuals in Houston and not larger corporations. We’re on your side. Our goal is to help those who have been injured recover settlements so they can pay for the care they need to rebuild their lives.

We have recovered over $100,000,000.00 for our clients and have more than 30 years of combined experience.  If you have suffered losses or injuries as a result of an Amazon delivery, contact us for a free consultation with an attorney at Johnson Garcia Law.