Accidents happen to almost everyone, even those who are on the road while working, such as delivery and courier professionals. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a DoorDash courier, you may be wondering: what happens if a DoorDash driver gets in an accident?

How Do DoorDash Accidents Happen?

There are many different ways an accident involving a DoorDash driver or courier can happen. This popular company has as many as 100,000 couriers, whom it calls Dashers, who make deliveries to customers. With that many vehicles and drivers on the road, it is bound to get into accidents. For example:

  • A DoorDash driver may be operating their vehicle negligently, such as by speeding, ignoring road signs, or driving recklessly, and crashes into your vehicle
  • The driver may crash into another vehicle in which you are a passenger, causing direct personal injuries to you
  • The driver may be operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol or may be driving distracted or drowsy, causing an accident
  • The driver may not have received sufficient training from DoorDash, resulting in negligent conduct by both the driver and the company
  • The driver may crash into your property, causing damage and the need for repairs or replacement

What Types of Injuries Can Occur as a Result of a DoorDash Accident?

Personal injuries in a motor vehicle accident involving a DoorDash courier or driver can run the gamut. Some common motor vehicle accident injuries include whiplash and soft tissue injuries, broken or fractured bones, abrasions, and contusions. In more serious cases, head injuries, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries can result, as can back, neck, and spinal injuries. Internal bleeding or injuries can also result. In the most severe cases, the victim of a DoorDash accident can suffer catastrophic injuries or even wrongful death.

If you’ve suffered injuries in a DoorDash accident, you may be able to recover compensation for the financial losses you have incurred. Those losses can include your medical and hospital bills, lost income, the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle, and even pain and suffering and other changes to your quality of life.

What is the Process for Recovering Compensation in a DoorDash Accident?

If you’ve been injured in an accident with DoorDash, you will most likely need to file a claim for negligence against the responsible parties, which can include the company, its driver or courier, as well as any insurance companies involved. A negligence claim holds a party responsible if they have breached a duty of reasonable care, such as driving unsafely, which directly caused your personal injuries suffered during the accident. To prevail on your negligence claim, you will need to prove four important elements:

  • Duty of reasonable care
  • Breach of duty
  • Causation
  • Damages

Your claim of negligence will need to be filed in the appropriate court in your jurisdiction. Generally, the process of filing a claim begins with the filing of a Complaint, which states the facts of your case, your legal claims, and your damages. Once the other parties file their answers to your complaint, the period of discovery will begin, involving the formal exchange of information between the parties. During that process, you will work together with your attorney to investigate the facts, preserve important evidence, and put together your case for trial.

You will also likely encounter lengthy negotiations with DoorDash, its driver, and its insurance companies. The purpose of these negotiations will be to settle your claim outside of court by agreeing on a fair and reasonable settlement. However, you should note that a serious power imbalance may result when you are negotiating with large insurers and companies like DoorDash. After all, their main goal will be to keep any payout to you as low as possible. Having an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer by your side can make a big difference, equipping you with the help you need to negotiate fairly.

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.