A car accident that is caused by a DoorDash driver can result in serious personal injuries and significant monetary damages to its victim. If you’ve been involved in such an accident, you may be wondering: will DoorDash pay for a car accident? There are various ways to hold both the company and its employee liable for the damages they have caused.
How Does Compensation Work in the Case of a DoorDash Accident?
In order to recover compensation for the financial losses you have incurred, you will need to file a claim, most likely for negligence, against the parties responsible. They can include the driver or courier, DoorDash, any third parties who contributed to liability, and any insurance companies involved. A claim for negligence requires you to establish the elements of liability and damages: you will need to show not only that the other parties directly caused your injuries, but also that you suffered damages as a result.
Generally, your negligence claim begins by filing in the appropriate court. Many cases are resolved outside of the trial process, through the process of negotiating with the other parties and their insurance companies. If your case does not get resolved through settlement negotiations, you will need to prove your claim to a jury at trial.
It’s important to discuss the role of insurance in a DoorDash accident. DoorDash is a delivery service that operates in over 7,000 cities across the United States, along with several other international locations. The company uses as many as 100,000 couriers, whom it calls Dashers, to make deliveries to customers. Each Dasher is supposed to carry their own insurance policy to cover any accidents that the driver may be involved in while they are working for the company. The driver must comply with the minimum insurance requirements of the state in which they are driving.
Additionally, DoorDash provides excess liability insurance for its drivers, but that coverage only applies to accidents where the courier is on active delivery. If the driver was not working at the time of the accident, they will most likely not be able to claim under the company’s insurance policy.
Another potential complexity is that 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. Consulting with an experienced motor vehicle lawyer is a must so that you can go over your options, discuss your legal rights, and determine the best strategy for bringing a claim against the company.
In many of these types of cases, the victims may have potential claims against several parties, including DoorDash, its individual driver, and their insurers. The presence of multiple parties can quickly complicate a case, particularly where you need to negotiate with large insurers, who often have significant legal assistance and resources. An experienced DoorDash accident lawyer can be very helpful.
What Damages are Recoverable?
In a DoorDash accident case, there are various types of general and special damages that you may be able to recover. General damages are those that cannot be readily accounted for, sometimes needing the assistance of a jury to put a dollar amount on them. Special damages are your out-of-pocket costs that you have incurred as a result of your accident.
Examples of general damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Lost future wages or income if you cannot work after your accident
- Loss of enjoyment of activities that you can no longer do
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring or disfigurement
- A general decline in the quality of your life
Examples of special damages include:
- Hospital stays
- The costs of medical testing, imaging, and treatments
- Doctors’ and specialists’ visits
- Prescription medications
- Mechanic’s bills
- The replacement cost of your vehicle
- The loss of your income from your current job
- The cost of nursing or home care
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.
