Commercial Vehicles Aren’t Just 18-Wheelers
When you hear the words “commercial vehicle wreck” what do you think of? Most people imagine a massive, fully-loaded, semi-truck crushing down on them. The reality, however, is that more and more serious accidents are caused by smaller commercial vehicles; including delivery vans, box trucks, and even gig economy drivers. With the increase in online shopping, Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Uber Eats, and others have a lot of commercial rigs on the roadways. The Car Crash Captain looks at what’s going on, how you can stay safe, and what to do if you’re involved in a wreck with a commercial vehicle in Texas.
The Rise in Commercial Vehicles
Multiple factors have increased the number of delivery vehicles on the roads. While semi-trucks are still used heavily, they’re often for interstate travel and to move large quantities of goods from factories to warehouses. Once there, however, companies rely on the smaller rigs for localized transport.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more deliveries have hit the roads with companies like Amazon leading the way. Amazon realized it was more efficient to do their own deliveries (rather than rely on shipping companies), and thus over 100,000 branded delivery vans are out in force nearly every day of the week.
Gig economy – which is freelancing including driving like deliveries through Uber or transporting people – continues to grow as well. About 60 million Americans freelance or do gig work. Many of them are behind the wheel delivering products, people, or packages.
With minimal training, tight schedules, and deadlines, these drivers can often hit the roads without being fully prepared to actually hit the roads.
The Legal Issues of Commercial Vehicle Wrecks
There are numerous factors that pop up with a commercial vehicle wreck. Like a crash with a big truck, liability isn’t always straightforward.
Is the driver independent, or an employee? If they’re driving for Amazon, using an Amazon truck, it might be that Amazon is liable. But if they’re driving for DoorDash, who is the liable party?
What kind of insurance does the driver carry? Personal policies often won’t cover when driving for pay – and some drivers skip out on the proper insurance so they can make more money.
Is the vehicle classified as a commercial vehicle? Here in Texas, the definition of a commercial vehicle depends on the use and weight, not necessarily the employer. So, a delivery van transporting goods might be considered commercial, but a passenger vehicle delivering people might not.
How to Stay Safe on the Roads
With all of these “new” drivers on the road, how do we stay safe? What do we do so we can ideally avoid a wreck, but also receive compensation if we are hit?
- Pay attention: many wrecks can be avoided by the victim paying more attention. We can’t control the at-fault driver’s behavior, but we can control our own.
- Avoid commerce routes: if possible, stick to the streets where trucks and vans aren’t heavily using.
- Be insured: you can get a policy that will provide compensation if the other driver doesn’t have the right insurance.
- Know your rights: you have the right to an attorney.
What to Do After a Wreck
With all wrecks, the first thing is to ensure safety. Clear the area, call the police, get medical attention.
Then, get in touch with Herbert Law Group. If you’re injured, your number one priority should be to recover from those injuries. You shouldn’t have to be worried about fighting with insurance companies, discovering liability, and dealing with adjusters. Let us handle that.
All you have to do is call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out our contact form, and we’ll figure out what needs to be done to get you the justice you deserve.