Are Texas Delivery Vehicle Accidents the Same as Commercial Vehicle Accidents?

Delivery Vehicle Accidents vs Commercial Vehicle Accidents

At the Hollingsworth Law Firm, our Houston personal injury attorneys know there are a lot of different types of traffic collisions in Texas. Some involve passenger vehicles, others 18-wheelers, some commercial vehicles — like flatbed or dump trucks — and others delivery vehicles.

We all know the difference between cars and semi-trucks, but what is the difference between delivery vehicles and commercial vehicles? In some cases, they are one and the same. In others, they can be very different — especially when they are involved in a collision. Here is why.

Because of the increase in online shopping, there is also an increased demand for delivery drivers for large corporations like Amazon, Walmart, UPS, and FedEx. Some of these companies require their drivers to have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Others do not.

This becomes important when an accident occurs because, typically, those without a CDL have less experience and safety training than most drivers need to operate a large commercial vehicle.

When the lack of training or inexperience translates into negligence, injury victims may be eligible to pursue a claim against the driver, company, another third party — or a combination of each.

How Do I Know If the Delivery Driver or Corporation is Liable for the Crash?

Each day, Texas motorists share interstates, city streets, and even their own neighborhoods with delivery drivers. And like other motorists, delivery drivers may be solely responsible for a collision when they are operating their large vehicles negligently.

That may include driving impaired, distracted, impaired, or while speeding or disobeying traffic signs and signals. When the delivery driver is working directly for a corporation, as an employee, the company may share some of the liability for the crash. In some cases, large companies hire drivers as independent contractors, which is a designation the company will use to avoid liability when a crash occurs — even though it may not be true.

Our skilled truck accident attorneys in Houston can help you, the injured individual or family, understand each party that may be liable for your full financial recovery, so you can pursue justice from all responsible parties.

Why Does it Matter Who is Liable for a Delivery Vehicle Crash?

When an employer like Amazon, Walmart, FedEx, UPS, or another large corporation shares liability for a vehicle collision, our Houston auto accident attorneys may pursue their insurance policies for our client’s recovery needs. This means higher policy limits and assets to cover catastrophic injuries, or multiple injury victims, as opposed to the delivery driver’s personal coverage.

Proving the company shares liability for the crash will require an extensive investigation into the cause of the accident, the company’s hiring practices, training requirements, and policies to meet the legal threshold of liability.  That is what we do.

If you or a loved one has been injured or lost their life in a delivery driver accident caused by negligence, contact our dedicated Houston personal injury lawyers at the Hollingsworth Law Firm today by calling 713-637-4560 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

Our skilled bilingual personal injury lawyers and support staff represent clients throughout the state of Texas on a contingency basis, so you never pay any legal fees unless we win your case.

If you are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve, so are we. Let us take the lead.