Have you been injured in an accident involving an Amazon delivery truck? If so, you may be entitled to compensation as part of a personal injury claim or lawsuit. The experienced truck accident lawyers at Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers are ready to help.
If you’re wondering, “Can I sue Amazon if I was hit by an Amazon delivery truck?”, the answer is not always straightforward. That’s because some Amazon delivery drivers aren’t actually Amazon employees, but independent contractors. In addition, Amazon may not own the trucks themselves — they may be owned and operated by third-party delivery companies.
These factors can make cases involving Amazon delivery accidents more complex than a typical car accident claim. However, with the right legal strategy and an experienced team that knows how to navigate these challenges, you can put yourself in the best position to pursue the compensation you deserve.
We have had many cases in the recent past where a parent company claimed that the delivery truck driver was not a direct employee and therefore the parent company was not liable for damages in excess of the delivery company’s insurance coverage. In every case so far, we have been able to persuade the insurance company or attorney for the parent company to pay additional money in excess of the delivery company’s insurance coverage to fairly compensate our clients. In these situations, our clients execute confidentiality agreements so we can’t disclose the identities of parties. There are other legal theories to hold Amazon liable as well which will be discussed later.
Contact us online or call us at 800-525-7111 and let’s review your claim.
Who Can You File a Claim Against After an Amazon Delivery Truck Accident?
Amazon often tries to avoid liability in delivery truck accidents by working with third-party companies and independent contractors. However, if you’ve been injured in a crash involving an Amazon vehicle, you may be able to bring a claim against one or more responsible parties.
Parties that may be liable for an Amazon delivery truck accident include:
- The delivery truck driver (an independent contractor)
- The private company that owns the truck or employs the driver
- The truck manufacturer
- The loading company
- The truck maintenance company
- Road contractors (if unsafe roadway conditions contributed to the accident)
- Amazon itself, if evidence shows the company exercised control over delivery schedules, driver monitoring, or route planning
An experienced Amazon truck accident lawyer can investigate the crash and identify all parties who may be responsible for your injuries. There is no obligation to speak with us, and we don’t get paid unless we recover compensation for you.
How Amazon Structures Its Delivery Network
Amazon delivery truck drivers may be independent contractors who work for private third-party companies hired by Amazon. These drivers are required to maintain their own liability insurance, which is often provided or paid for by the third-party companies that employ them. Amazon has stated: “We require that all delivery service partners maintain comprehensive insurance, including auto liability, so if in the rare case an accident does occur, there is coverage for all involved.” However, the coverage in place by this delivery partner is most probably not nearly as large as the coverage available through Amazon.
In addition, Amazon does not always own the trucks used for deliveries. Instead, those vehicles may belong to the third-party companies that employ the drivers. These companies are, in some cases, required by contract to “defend, indemnify and hold harmless Amazon” in the event of a crash. In other words, they must take on responsibility for losses involving property damage, injury, or even death.
Many of these delivery companies operate through Amazon’s “Delivery Service Partner” (DSP) program. While DSPs are set up as separate businesses, they exist almost entirely to serve Amazon and must follow strict requirements for uniforms, vehicle branding, and insurance coverage.
Can Amazon Be Held Liable for Delivery Truck Accidents?
Although Amazon claims that all its delivery truck drivers are independent contractors, plaintiffs in lawsuits have presented evidence suggesting the company’s relationship with drivers looks much more like that of an employer.
For example, a report from the New York Times noted that “The retail giant directs the destinations, deadlines, and routes for its network of contract delivery drivers. But when they crash, Amazon is held harmless.”
Even as Amazon denies responsibility, evidence shows the company maintains tight control over how drivers do their jobs. Drivers have reported that Amazon sometimes coordinates deliveries through its own dispatchers, and many of its vehicles are equipped with monitoring systems that track driver behavior in real time. These cameras and tracking tools—combined with strict delivery quotas—can create unsafe pressures on drivers.
Because of this control, courts have begun to recognize two main legal paths for holding Amazon accountable:
- Arguing that drivers act as Amazon’s “agents” due to the company’s direct control over their work.
- Proving that Amazon’s own policies or surveillance systems contributed to unsafe driving and caused the accident.
In addition, most Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) are required to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance per accident. While this coverage can address many claims, it may not come close to covering the costs of severe injuries or fatal accidents. This is another reason why establishing Amazon’s responsibility can be critical, so injured victims and their families are not left without the full and fair compensation they need.
What Compensation Could You Recover?
If you were injured in an Amazon delivery truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical bills (emergency care, surgery, therapy, medication)
- Lost wages and reduced earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Disability or disfigurement
- Property damage
- Wrongful death damages (which are specifically set forth and outlined in our wrongful death statute) if a loved one was killed in the crash
Our Amazon delivery truck accident lawyers have an entire team of investigators to help prove liability in your case. If you’ve been hurt as a result of an accident involving an Amazon delivery truck or van, you deserve justice and you may be entitled to compensation.
The truck accident lawyers at Riddle & Riddle have been helping injured victims recover compensation since 1985. Our attorneys have more than 220+ years of combined legal experience and we are ready to help however we can.
Injured in an Amazon Truck Accident?
If you’ve been hurt as a result of an accident involving an Amazon delivery truck or van, you deserve justice and you may be entitled to compensation.
The truck accident lawyers at Riddle & Riddle have been helping injured victims recover compensation since 1985. Our attorneys have more than 220+ years of combined legal experience and we are ready to help however we can.
“Riddle & Riddle found me all the available money from the insurance companies.”
-B. Fields, Riddle & Riddle client
We’ve recovered millions of dollars in compensation for victims of truck accidents in (see disclaimer below), and we’d love to assist you in your Amazon truck accident claim if we can.
Recent wins include:
- $9,450,000 — We represented the surviving family of a family of four who were killed in a terrible tractor-trailer wreck. Organizing a comprehensive accident investigation, we proved liability in the case with an extensive amount of evidence, including traffic data recovered from Google Maps. Riddle & Riddle attorneys ultimately secured $9.45 million in total compensation for the surviving loved ones.
- $2,250,000 — Attorney Gene Riddle represented a family he knew personally after a young woman died in a truck accident when the other driver crossed the center line and hit her head-on. We partnered with attorney David Kirby of Kirby Edwards law firm in Raleigh to investigate the claim and settled with the insurance company for $2.25 million in total compensation.
- $1,900,000 — We fought for justice on behalf of a woman who was walking across a parking lot when she was struck by a cement truck and suffered serious injuries. We brought in an accident reconstructionist to help investigate and prove liability, and were ultimately able to recover $1.9 million in total compensation.
We have investigators on staff who can assist with investigating your Amazon truck accident and helping determine who is liable. In many cases, we also bring in outside experts including accident reconstructionists and federal trucking safety experts.
“This settlement changed me and my family’s lives.”
-Linda B., Riddle & Riddle client
Please call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your case.
Justice Counts.
*** Disclaimer: The results mentioned are intended to illustrate the type of cases handled by the firm. These results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and they should not be construed to constitute a promise or guarantee of a particular result in any particular case. Every case is different, and the outcome of any case depends upon a variety of factors unique to that case.