In no way am I knocking delivery drivers here – the point of this article is to advise the victim of an accident about their rights when it comes to accidents and injuries caused by a delivery driver.
The law is the law, and important health and safety legislation must be adhered to in order to prevent innocent people from being injured through no fault of their own. So if you are injured by a delivery driver, read on for info on your rights when it comes to making a claim for personal injury compensation.
Common Accidents
Common accidents we see caused by delivery drivers are:
- General road accidents or a victim being hit by a delivery driver – either in a car on a road, or as a pedestrian in a place of employment perhaps
- Loads being poorly handled or badly secured resulting in bodily injury from loads dropping or falling from the back of a wagon or sudden movements causing muscular injuries
- Shared manual handling activity injuries caused by the driver
- Accidents involving defective or dangerous pallets or cages coming from a delivery drivers van
Can I claim?
The main thing to know is that the employer of the delivery driver is normally vicariously liable for any negligent actions on their part. That means that a company who employs a delivery driver would be liable to compensate you if the delivery driver’s negligence has caused or contributed toward an accident or an injury.
You wouldn’t normally sue an individual, and employers should have insurance that covers people who are injured by their employees. So you stand a good chance of being able to win a claim where the negligent actions of a delivery driver have injured you.
What should I do?
Reporting it early is important, because your version of events and the delivery driver’s version of events could differ entirely. Report it to the company and take some details of the driver at the time of the accident if you have been able to do so. If you are injured whilst working in your employment, you should make your employer aware of what’s happened as well.
Seeking medical attention is of course important as well, both for you to get the right care or advice you need, and to advise whoever you see how the injury has occurred. It’s useful for this to be noted in your medical records as well.
We then advise speaking to us on 0800 634 75 75 to see if you are able to make a claim for personal injury compensation. Claiming can be important for many reasons – to claim compensation for any injuries sustained, and to recover any losses or expenses incurred by you as well. It can also serve to improve health and safety in general too.
