Delivery Driver Injuries And Workers’ Compensation
Delivery drivers can face serious workplace injuries at any time of the year, but injuries can be particularly common during the holidays when thousands of people across the country are placing delivery orders and drivers are rushing to meet delivery time windows made by the retail companies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), fatal injuries have risen recently among driver and sales workers, which is a category that includes delivery drivers. Whether drivers use their own vehicles to deliver takeout food or drive trucks for companies like UPS or Amazon, delivery drivers can sustain many different types of injuries on the job.
If you were injured while working as a delivery driver, it is important to speak with a South Florida workers’ compensation lawyer to ensure that you remain eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in Florida.
Common Types of Injuries Affecting Delivery Drivers
Delivery drivers are at risk of many different types of injuries on the job, from injuries in motor vehicle accidents to injuries resulting from intentional assaults. The BLS cites the following as common types of injuries that affect delivery drivers in Florida and across the country:
- Transportation-related accidents, including collisions with cars and trucks on highways and local roads;
- Intentional injuries committed by another person, such as an assault or a homicide;
- Falls on the same level, including slips and falls on walkways leading up to houses, especially during the wintertime when pathways can be icy;
- Overexertion injuries caused by lifting or lowering;
- Being struck by an object, such as while loading delivery items into a truck or removing them from a warehouse; and
- Dog bite injuries, especially when delivering a package to the door of a home with a dog.
The BLS reports that, in 2019, a total of 83 drivers were killed on the job, which was “the highest number for this occupation in the last five years.” A majority of those fatalities (more than 72 percent) resulted from transportation-related accidents, including motor vehicle collisions. Delivery drivers also sustained more than 8,000 nonfatal injuries in 2019, including transportation-related accidents, falls on the same level or slips and falls, and exertion injuries. Falls on the same level routinely account for the highest number of nonfatal injuries among delivery drivers.
How Do I Seek Compensation for a Driving Injury?
If you are a delivery driver and you were injured while delivering goods, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. First, Florida law requires you to report the accident to your employer within 30 days. In addition, you must seek medical attention and file a workers’ compensation claim.
While Florida law requires injuries to be work-related, it is critical to understand that jobs requiring workers to drive to various sites away from the principal place of business can certainly still be work-related injuries for workers’ compensation purposes, and delivery driver injuries are a good example.
Seek Advice from a Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Do you need advice about filing a delivery driver injury claim? Our Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorney can help. Contact the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. to learn more about our services.
Resource:
bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/fatal-injuries-at-a-5-year-high-for-driver-sales-workers-in-2019.htm?view_full
