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Determining liability for DoorDash car accidents can be tricky. While the delivery driver’s insurance often applies in these cases, DoorDash also covers certain accidents. Whose insurance applies and how much compensation you can recover depends on the facts of the crash.
The Hartford car accident lawyers at Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, are not intimidated by challenging cases or by large companies like DoorDash. No matter who’s responsible for your injuries, we can help you seek fair compensation through a car accident claim.
What Are Possible Causes of a DoorDash Car Accident?
Many DoorDash accidents happen because the delivery driver was careless or did not take proper care of their car. Common causes of these crashes include:
- Speeding — DoorDash drivers often feel rushed to complete their deliveries as fast as possible in the hope of receiving better tips. This pressure can lead to speeding, which reduces drivers’ reaction times while increasing the severity of crashes when they occur.
- Distracted driving — Many DoorDash drivers use their phones to navigate, accept orders, or message customers. Constant interaction with the app while driving can take their eyes, hands, and focus off the road, making a collision more likely.
- Running stop signs or red lights — Some drivers ignore traffic signals or stop signs to stay on schedule with their deliveries. These reckless choices can cause high-speed collisions at intersections.
- Poor vehicle maintenance — Since DoorDash drivers use their cars, and not company vehicles, they are responsible for vehicle maintenance. Neglecting basic upkeep, like replacing bald tires or worn brake pads, can cause mechanical failures that, in turn, lead to accidents.
- Driver fatigue — Delivery drivers often work long hours or drive for multiple services. Exhaustion slows drivers’ reaction times, impairs their judgment, and raises the risk that the driver will fall asleep at the wheel.
- Failure to yield or signal — DoorDash drivers sometimes skip using turn signals or fail to yield the right-of-way when required, creating confusion and collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians.
How Do You Determine Who Is At Fault for a DoorDash Car Accident?
Evidence from the crash scene can tell you who caused a DoorDash accident. For example, surveillance footage or eyewitness accounts can provide details on the delivery driver’s actions, such as if they were speeding or looking at their phone. Similarly, crash scene photos and police reports can demonstrate the angle and location of the initial impact, which may suggest who caused the collision. The more evidence you have and the more thorough it is, the greater your chances of winning your car accident claim and recovering fair compensation.
What Compensation Could I Seek After a DoorDash Car Accident?
The potential compensation in a DoorDash accident claim falls into two main categories. The first category is economic damages. They compensate you for the crash’s direct, tangible costs and may include your current and future medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and the cost to repair or replace your car and other damaged property. You can use your hospital invoices, pay stubs, vehicle repair estimates, and other evidence to prove these losses.
The second main category of compensation in a DoorDash accident claim is non-economic damages. These damages compensate you for the intangible losses from a collision, such as your physical pain and emotional distress from the crash, along with your reduced quality of life. These losses are harder to prove because they don’t have a fixed value. Expert testimony, your medical records, and accounts from your friends and family can help you establish them.
Connecticut law does not limit your compensation in car accident claims. An experienced car accident lawyer at Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, can help you document all the harm you’ve suffered to maximize your claim’s value.
Are DoorDash Drivers Treated as Employees or Independent Contractors?
DoorDash drivers are independent contractors, not direct employees. So, DoorDash itself may avoid liability for its drivers’ actions. This is an explicit strategy that DoorDash uses to avoid paying for injuries its drivers cause.
However, in some circumstances, the company might share liability. For instance, DoorDash policy requires drivers to maintain personal liability coverage that meets Connecticut’s legal requirements. If DoorDash hired an uninsured or underinsured driver, they might be partly liable for your losses. A car accident lawyer can examine your case to see if DoorDash might owe you compensation.
Does DoorDash Provide Auto Insurance Coverage for Its Drivers?
While DoorDash is usually not directly liable for accidents, state law requires it to provide some insurance for its drivers. Here’s how DoorDash’s insurance coverage works in Connecticut:
DoorDash has third-party auto liability coverage that applies only if a driver causes an accident while actively completing a delivery or during what the company calls the “Delivery Service” Period. The Delivery Service Period starts when the driver accepts a delivery request in the DoorDash app and ends when they mark the order as delivered, unassigned, or canceled.
The DoorDash policy applies only when the driver is liable for the accident. It is also secondary coverage. So, you must first submit a claim to the delivery driver’s insurance company. If the insurer denies the claim, DoorDash’s policy may provide backup coverage.
What Happens If the DoorDash Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured?
You can sue an uninsured DoorDash driver and pursue compensation from them directly, bypassing the normal insurance claims process. You can also file a claim with DoorDash, though you must prove that their driver caused the collision. The fact that DoorDash hired an uninsured driver in violation of the company’s policies can help you make a stronger case.
Contact a Connecticut Car Accident Lawyer
Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, has over 55 years of combined legal experience, giving us in-depth knowledge we can use to help you pursue compensation after a DoorDash accident. We’ve recovered many seven- and six-figure awards for our clients, and our testimonials demonstrate our commitment to customer service. Call now or complete our contact form today to receive a free consultation.
