Delivery Truck Accidents

Delivery trucks have become a constant presence on California roads, with more packages arriving every day from companies like Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and countless food delivery services. This surge in delivery activity means accidents involving these vehicles become more likely. If you’re hurt in a crash with a delivery truck, knowing your rights under California law and exercising your option to seek legal help from a Fresno truck accident attorney can make a difference in your recovery.

Common Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents

There are several reasons why delivery truck crashes happen. Some of the most common ones include:

Driver Fatigue and Overwork

Delivery drivers often work long shifts, especially during busy seasons. When drivers don’t get enough rest, their reaction time and focus suffer, making accidents more likely.

Distracted Driving

Many deliveries require constant use of GPS and smartphones for directions, package tracking, or communicating with colleagues or supervisors. These distractions, combined with the pressure to deliver quickly, can make drivers lose focus on what’s happening around them, and lead to a distracted driving accident. 

Improper Training or Hiring

Not all companies spend the right amount of time training their staff. Some new hires are sent out without fully learning how to drive large trucks in traffic or handle unpredictable situations. When this happens, mistakes are more likely to occur, which can lead to serious accidents.

Vehicle Maintenance Failures

Companies should keep delivery trucks well maintained, but this doesn't always happen. Ignoring routine care can cause serious crashes if a vehicle breaks down on the road. Sometimes, simple fixes that are skipped or delayed lead to accidents that never should have happened.

Speeding to Meet Delivery Deadlines

The pressure to meet deadlines often leads drivers to rush, running stop signs or driving far over the speed limits. This focus on speed over safety puts the driver and everyone on the road in harm’s way. Recognizing what went wrong after a delivery truck accident isn’t always easy, but it's important so you know who you could potentially collect compensation from.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Delivery Truck Accident?

When you’re involved in a delivery truck accident, figuring out who is legally responsible is an important step in getting your expenses paid. This often includes one or more of the following:

Delivery Driver

If a delivery truck driver was distracted or broke traffic laws, they can be held personally responsible for any injury, damage, or inconvenience they cause.

Delivery Company

Large businesses like Amazon, FedEx, or DoorDash may also be on the hook, especially if the driver is their direct employee or if company policies push drivers to take dangerous risks. Companies are often responsible for the actions of their workers while on the job.

Third-Party Contractors

Some drivers work as independent contractors rather than employees. This makes insurance situations more complicated. The third party would be liable, but in some cases, the contracting company may still have some responsibility if it failed to screen, train, or manage its drivers properly.

Vehicle Manufacturers

If equipment failure contributed to the crash, the company that made or serviced the truck may be legally responsible.

Victim is Partially Liable

If you had some responsibility for the crash - like if you were speeding or distracted, California’s pure comparative negligence law comes into play. Under this system, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. 405.Comparative Fault of Plaintiff [Name of defendant] claims that [name of plaintiff]’s own negligence contributed to [his/her/nonbinary pronoun] harm. To succeed on this claim, [name of defendant] must prove both of the following:

1. That [name of plaintiff] was negligent; and
2. That [name of plaintiff]’s negligence was a substantial factor in

causing [his/her/nonbinary pronoun] harm. If [name of defendant] proves the above, [name of plaintiff]’s damages are reduced by your determination of the percentage of [name of plaintiff]’s responsibility. For instance, if it's determined that you're 30% responsible for the accident and the delivery driver was 70% at fault, you can still collect damages. However, the total amount you receive would be lowered by 30%. Figuring out who is liable can get complicated. If you've been hurt in an accident with a delivery truck, we can help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.