Accidents Involving Amazon Trucks in Illinois

With Amazon offering two-day free shipping to its Prime members, the amount of delivery trucks on the road continues to increase. Other added features like Amazon Fresh and Prime Now further increase the number of Amazon delivery vehicles on the road. With this increase in vehicles comes the potential for more accidents. An accident involving a commercial truck is different than an accident with another passenger vehicle. The aftermath of an accident with an Amazon truck can become complicated quickly. Accidents involving Amazon trucks can involve more serious injuries in many cases since they are large vehicles, and their weight alone can cause significantly more damage than another vehicle. If you have been injured in an accident with an Amazon delivery truck, you need to retain an experienced Rockford truck accident attorney who can help you through the complex claims process.

Amazon Driver Liability 

When you have been struck by an Amazon delivery truck, you can start by trying to file a claim against them for compensation, but they may not be legally responsible for reimbursing you. Most of the Amazon trucks you see on the road are owned and operated by various third-party delivery companies who are contracted to perform the service. They use their own third-party trucks and vans. Many of these companies have exclusive contracts with Amazon and do not deliver packages for any other company. 

You might be wondering why Amazon opts to go this route. It is to reduce or eliminate their liability in accidents. If Amazon does not own the vehicle, and the person driving the third-party contracted vehicle is an employee of another company, it becomes even harder to name Amazon as one of the defendants in a personal injury lawsuit. 

There are justified concerns that Amazon is putting such strict pressure on delivery times for these third-party drivers that public safety is suffering. Drivers for these companies are forced to deliver an unreasonable number of packages every day, and some are skipping meals and driving recklessly in an attempt to stay on schedule. Combine that with the fact that new drivers are only given a couple of days of training and sent out in vehicles, and it is no surprise that accidents involving Amazon delivery vehicles are on the rise. 

Insurance Requirements Illinois 

Illinois law requires that any delivery truck “for hire” must have general liability coverage of at least one million dollars per occurrence, and one million to two million dollars in aggregate liability coverage. In addition, drivers must carry their own primary liability coverage that ranges between $35,000 and one million dollars, depending on what region they are covering and what their driving history looks like. 

Comprehensive truck delivery insurance will take care of all aspects of an accident, which can include:

• Property damage: Damage to the victim’s vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or truck
• Bodily injury: Reimbursement for medical treatment, time off work, future medical treatment, and future loss of earnings
• Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, disability or disfigurement, and loss of consortium

Contact a Rockford Truck Accident Attorney

If you have been involved in an accident with an Amazon delivery truck or van, contact Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. today to schedule an initial consultation.