Who Is Liable in a Delivery Truck Accident?

Delivery truck accident liability can get complicated fast, especially in busy metro areas like Denver, where last-mile vans, box trucks, and parcel carriers mix with commuters on I-25, I-70, and tight downtown streets. Modern delivery demand is putting more and more traffic on our streets and highways at nearly all times of the day. Unfortunately, while they perform a useful service and make life more convenient, the near constant presence of delivery vans also increases the chance for accidents, placing everyone on the road at heightened risk for injury.

How Do Delivery Truck Accidents Happen?

Common causes of delivery truck accidents include:

• Sudden stops and rear-end crashes.
  Delivery drivers stop often, sometimes with little warning, to reach an address or find a curb space. Even with adequate distance between your vehicle and a delivery truck, sudden and unexpected stops can result in a collision.
• Unsafe lane changes and merges.
  A delivery driver may jump lanes to make a turn, get to a loading zone, or avoid missing an exit. Unexpected maneuvering like this through traffic can easily lead to side swipes and other types of crashes.
• Blind spots.
  Box trucks and step vans have large blind spots. A wide right turn can trap or clip a smaller vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian, especially at busy downtown intersections.
• Backing collisions in alleys, lots, and neighborhoods.
  Many deliveries happen where turning around is difficult. Backing crashes often occur due to poor visibility and can affect smaller vehicles and pedestrians.
• Door-zone and curbside conflicts.
  Last-mile deliveries typically need curbside access. This can translate to double-parked vans blocking traffic, as well as abrupt pull-outs.
• Distracted driving.
  Delivery work relies on phones, apps, scanners, and navigation tools. Even a moment’s distraction can result in serious collisions.
• Unsecured or shifting loads.
  Shifting cargo can change the balance of a delivery truck, which can cause braking and steering challenges and increase the risk of a rollover. It can also result in distraction if the driver looks to see what has fallen or shifted.
• Fatigue and rushed decision-making.
  Long shifts, early starts, and pressure to finish routes can lead to a slower reaction time and higher crash risk. These risks increase during peak delivery times and seasons.

If You Have Been Hurt, We Can Help. Talk to Us for FREE

If you have been hurt in a crash with a delivery truck in Denver or anywhere in Colorado, call Burg Simpson at 303-792-5595 to schedule a FREE consultation and learn about your options. We help victims of serious injury in Aurora, Thornton, Henderson, Mead, Loveland, Colorado Springs, and throughout the state.

Delivery Truck Accident Liability Is Not Always Straightforward

With passenger car wrecks, liability often comes down to one driver. Delivery truck accident liability is different because more than one party may have contributed, and not all of them are at the crash scene.

Delivery truck accident liability may fall to:

• The delivery driver for speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, distracted driving, backing errors, and other driving issues.
• The driver’s employer for negligent hiring, negligent training, improper fleet maintenance, encouraging regulatory violations, or negligent supervision.
• The company that owns or leases the vehicle when there are lapses in maintenance or inadequate inspection of vehicles.
• A third-party contractor when hiring, staffing, supervising, and route planning is outsourced and performed negligently.
• Maintenance and repair providers for brake failures, tire blowouts, steering defects, and other issues caused by negligent maintenance.
• Loading and warehouse operations for overloaded trucks, unbalanced cargo, unsecured loads, and rushed loading that causes rollovers, loss of control, or spills.
• A manufacturer of defective components that contribute to a crash.

When you are injured in an accident involving a delivery truck, all liable parties must be identified to help safeguard your rights. This makes it important that you select a law firm with the resources to thoroughly investigate these crashes.

Burg Simpson has been investigating large and small commercial vehicle accidents for more than 50 years. We have the background, access to experts, and real-world experience needed to make sure everyone who played a role in your injury is identified and held accountable for their actions.

How Much Time Do I Have to File a Delivery Truck Accident Claim?

For injuries caused in motor vehicle accidents in Colorado, you have three years to file a personal injury claim. However, this window can change under a variety of circumstances, including claims involving wrongful death or dangerous road conditions tied to a public agency. The best way to protect your rights and ensure you are able to seek fair compensation is by talking to a qualified delivery truck crash attorney as soon as possible.

When it comes to establishing delivery truck accident liability, evidence, such as traffic camera footage, dashcam footage, electronic driving logs, engine control module data, and electronic manifests and cargo logs, is key. These things can get overwritten or erased after just a few short months. This makes it very important that you engage a lawyer who can demand their preservation before time runs out.

If you have been injured in a crash with a delivery van, Burg Simpson is available to help. Our award-winning attorneys are ready to listen to your story, help you understand your rights, and guide you toward the best way to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and related damages.

Burg Simpson Can Help Sort Out Delivery Truck Accident Liability

Delivery truck accident liability is established through proof. Burg Simpson focuses on obtaining evidence early, with an investigative process designed to answer the questions of who caused the crash and who can be held responsible for your damages.

Typically, this means digging into:

• Driver conduct, like speed, distraction, route choice, and stopping behavior.
• Vehicle condition, including maintenance history, defects, and inspection records.
• Company policies involving hiring, background checks, training, supervision, and scheduling expectations.
• Delivery data from things including dispatch records, route logs, and telematics.
• Scene evidence such as skid marks, vehicle damage patterns, video, and witnesses.
• Cargo and loading practices, including how the cargo was weighed, loaded, and secured.

Burg Simpson is a nationally recognized law firm. Known for unflinching advocacy and real results, we have recovered over $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. When you are hurt by a delivery driver, no matter if they are driving a step van, box truck, refrigerated truck, panel van, or something else entirely, we are here to investigate the cause of your crash, identify the liable parties, and help you seek compensation for all of your damages.

Talk to an Experienced Delivery Truck Accident Injury Lawyer for FREE

If you have been involved in a crash with a delivery truck in Denver or anywhere in Colorado, Burg Simpson is here to help. Use our online contact form to request a FREE and confidential case review with one of our dedicated lawyers. We handle complex delivery truck accident liability claims in Lakewood, Arvada, Castle Rock, Erie, and throughout the state.