Delivery Driver Injuries
Delivery drivers in South Florida perform jobs that routinely put them at risk of various kinds of injuries. Not only can delivery drivers sustain injuries in motor vehicle collisions while working, but they can also be at risk of injuries associated with loading goods for delivery, and even injuries associated with dog bites when they deliver packages, foods, and other goods to customer doors. If you were injured while working as a delivery driver in Pompano Beach, you should get in touch with a lawyer who can help you with your workers’ compensation claim. One of our experienced Pompano Beach workers’ compensation attorneys can speak with you today about your case. In the meantime, the following information helps to explain how delivery drivers get hurt and what they can do to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.
Common Tasks for Delivery Truck Drivers
It is important to understand the various tasks that delivery drivers perform in order to understand how injuries can happen on the job. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) emphasizes that delivery drivers “have a physically demanding job” that is often physically tiring. The BLS cites the following as common job duties of delivery drivers and sales workers:
- Loading and unloading goods or cargo;
- Driving for long periods of time;
- Communicating with customers when making deliveries or picking up packages;
- Abiding by traffic laws;
- Taking delivery payments from customers;
- Handling paperwork associated with deliveries; and
- Reporting roadway issues or other problems while making deliveries.
Types of Injuries Sustained By Delivery Truck Drivers
The above job duties clarify how delivery drivers have to interact with a wide variety of people while doing their jobs, and that they can be at risk of injuries while in the process of making deliveries to specific customers, as well as while traveling from one location to another. Common types of injuries sustained by delivery drivers include but are not limited to the following:
- Traffic collision injuries, which may include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), broken bones, contusions, lacerations, and internal injuries;
- Dog bite injuries, which can happen when a delivery driver makes a delivery to a door;
- Repetitive stress injuries, which can happen while loading or unloading cargo, including back injuries; and
- Slip and fall injuries, which may include head trauma, sprains and strains, broken bones, and other related injuries.
How to Seek Workers’ Compensation After a Delivery Driver Injury
Delivery truck drivers who get hurt while working need to report the injury to their employer as soon as possible. At a minimum, the injury must be reported within 30 days from the date of the injury. If the injury is an emergency, the delivery truck driver should seek emergency treatment at the nearest health care facility. Otherwise, it is important for the delivery truck driver to find out about approved providers from their employer in order to seek approved medical treatment and care.
Contact a Pompano Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Were you injured while working as a delivery truck driver? Given the range of tasks performed by delivery truck drivers in various environments, these workers can suffer many different types of injuries on the job. An experienced Pompano Beach workers’ compensation attorney at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. can help you to seek the compensation you need.
Sources:
bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/delivery-truck-drivers-and-driver-sales-workers.htm#tab-2
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html
