DoorDash is a company that operates an online food delivery and takeout platform. With around 32 million active users, it is a popular delivery app and online service for customers to order food and have it delivered from local restaurants at the touch of a button.
Unfortunately, DoorDash food delivery drivers do not have a track record of safe driving practices. Many motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians have gone to hospitals in Louisiana after car accidents involving DoorDash drivers. Sadly, some of these victims have passed away from their injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a DoorDash accident, the New Orleans car accident attorneys at Morris Bart can help you pursue the financial compensation that you deserve. Our law firm can hold delivery drivers and DoorDash as a company accountable for accidents involving food deliveries. Contact us to begin with a free consultation.
Why Choose Our New Orleans DoorDash Accident Lawyer?
- Our law firm consists of over 100 skilled attorneys and 150 experienced legal professionals. We have 15 offices located throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South.
- We understand Louisiana’s auto accident laws and how to navigate them during even the most complicated cases. We will guide you through the legal process from start to settlement.
- Our personal injury lawyers have achieved over $1 billion in successful settlements and verdicts, including positive results for many car accident cases.
- We operate on a contingency fee basis for DoorDash accident cases, meaning you will only owe us attorney’s fees if we secure financial compensation on your behalf.
For a free legal consultation with a DoorDash Accident lawyer serving New Orleans, call 800-537-8185
How Can a DoorDash Accident Attorney Help?
If you get involved in a DoorDash food delivery accident in New Orleans, the best way to protect your rights is by hiring a car accident attorney near you for representation. Legal assistance from an experienced delivery service accident lawyer can make it easier to navigate the legal process. An attorney can:
- Investigate your DoorDash delivery driver accident, including discovering witnesses.
- Assess all of the variables involved in your case, including the insurance policies available.
- Identify the defendant(s), or the at-fault parties, to name in your injury claim.
- Accurately evaluate how much your DoorDash car accident case is worth.
- Represent you during insurance settlement negotiations or an auto accident lawsuit.
- Hire highly qualified experts as necessary, such as medical experts.
- Fight for maximum financial compensation for your injuries and losses.
You can trust your attorney to use proven legal strategies to achieve the best possible results for your case while you focus on moving forward from the traumatic event. This includes taking your car accident case to trial in Orleans Parish, if necessary.
Why Do DoorDash and Other Delivery Driver Accidents Happen?
DoorDash drivers who make deliveries in New Orleans are prone to making the same mistakes and errors as other motor vehicle drivers. In many cases, they are more likely to engage in careless and reckless driving practices due to the pressures of their jobs. DoorDash food delivery drivers are often on a tight schedule and rushing to make deliveries—even if this means violating traffic laws.
Food delivery vehicle accidents can result from common driver errors, such as:
- Driving while distracted, including using the DoorDash app or a GPS
- Texting or other cell phone use while driving
- Failing to pay attention to the road
- Failing to yield the right-of-way to others
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Speeding or rushing deliveries
- Speeding in a school zone or residential neighborhood
- Driving while drowsy or fatigued
- Red-light running or other traffic violations
- Backing out of a driveway or parking spot without checking
- Reckless, aggressive, or road-rage driving behaviors
Understanding the cause of your DoorDash accident is one of the first steps toward obtaining financial compensation for your losses. Our car accident attorneys at Morris Bart can conduct a comprehensive investigation of your crash to assign liability to one or more parties. This may include the delivery driver, another driver, DoorDash, or a third party.
Click to contact our New Orleans Car Accident Attorney today
Can I Hold DoorDash Responsible for a Car Accident?
DoorDash accidents are more complicated than standard car accident claims for several reasons. One is that a DoorDash accident involves more than just two motor vehicle drivers; it also involves DoorDash as a delivery company and its unique liability insurance policy. In addition, every DoorDash driver is required to have personal bodily injury and property damage insurance coverage.
If a negligent DoorDash driver is at fault for causing a food delivery car accident, his or her personal insurance company may be financially responsible for a victim’s losses. However, DoorDash may also be held responsible through the rule of vicarious liability. This legal doctrine applies to all employers in New Orleans; it holds them liable for the actions of employees who are acting within the course and scope of their employment.
Although DoorDash drivers are classified as independent contractors, DoorDash can still be held responsible for car accidents caused by their delivery drivers in some cases. DoorDash has an insurance policy in place to cover accidents involving their drivers. In rare cases, it may also be possible to file a lawsuit against DoorDash directly. This may be an option if the company contributed to the crash, such as with negligent driver hiring practices.
What Happens if I Get in an Accident While DoorDashing?
DoorDash provides liability insurance for its drivers (called “Dashers”) if they are involved in accidents within the Delivery Service period of a ride. The Delivery Service period begins when a Dasher accepts a delivery request on the DoorDash platform and does not end until the order is marked as delivered, unassigned, or canceled.
During the Delivery Service period, DoorDash offers delivery drivers a $1 million combined limit in liability insurance coverage. This insurance can pay for injuries and damage caused to others in an accident. If a Dasher was online but had not yet accepted a delivery request, his or her personal auto insurance will pay for an at-fault car accident.
Note that this insurance only applies if the Dasher is considered liable for damages or injuries to another party. If you get injured in a car accident that is someone else’s fault while working for DoorDash as a driver, the at-fault person or party can be held liable for your losses with a standard car accident claim.
Types of Compensation Available
A car accident involving a food delivery driver working for DoorDash could result in serious physical injuries, emotional harm, and property damage. If you are a victim of this type of accident in New Orleans, you may be eligible for various damages or financial compensation for your losses through one or more insurance policies.
Available compensation can include:
- Medical expenses: all past and future medical bills caused by the DoorDash accident, including an ambulance, emergency care, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, rehabilitation, counseling, medications, and medical devices.
- Property damage: the cost of repairing your damaged vehicle or – if your vehicle is deemed a total loss by an auto mechanic – the full pre-crash value of your car. You may also qualify for compensation for damaged personal belongings.
- Lost wages: income and employment benefits lost while in recovery from your car accident injuries. This can include the difference between what you used to make and what you are able to make now due to a temporary or permanent disability.
- Pain and suffering: the intangible ways in which the food delivery car accident affected you, which may include physical pain, emotional distress, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.
- Punitive damages: additional compensation as a penalty against the defendant for gross negligence. The law in Louisiana states that punitive damages can only be awarded in a personal injury claim if a drunk driver is responsible for causing the injuries.
If you tragically lost a loved one in a fatal DoorDash accident in New Orleans, your family may also be eligible for wrongful death damages. These may include reasonable funeral and burial costs, medical bills, and loss of future income or inheritance.
How Much Is My Case Worth?
The potential value of an injury claim following a DoorDash car accident will depend on the specific circumstances. The values of car accident cases are based on numerous factors that are unique to each, such as the severity of the claimant’s injuries, the extent of the property damage, and the limits on available insurance coverage.
The best way to determine the potential value of your case is by consulting with the experienced attorneys at Morris Bart. Our legal team knows how to fight for the financial compensation that our clients deserve. We will put your car accident case together in a way that is best suited to achieve optimal results. We have the power to go up against powerful adversaries, including food delivery services and their insurance companies, in and out of the courtroom.
What Is the Statute of Limitations?
A statute of limitations is a filing deadline that car accident victims must comply with or risk losing the ability to seek financial compensation from an at-fault party forever. In Louisiana, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is just one year from the date of the accident. If the victim does not discover his or her injuries immediately, this statute of limitations could be tolled or paused until the date of reasonable discovery. It is important to contact a DoorDash accident attorney as soon as possible to make sure you meet your deadline.
What to Do After a DoorDash Accident in New Orleans
If you get involved in a car accident with a DoorDash delivery driver in New Orleans, do your best to remain calm and remember to take the following steps to protect yourself:
- Stop immediately at the scene or as close to the scene as is safely practicable.
- Check yourself and anyone else involved in the DoorDash accident for injuries.
- Call 911 to report the car accident and request an ambulance if necessary.
- Exchange information with the food delivery driver, including insurance information.
- Do not apologize or admit fault for the accident to the DoorDash driver or police.
- Take photographs of the scene of the accident before you leave.
- Go to a doctor or hospital directly from the accident scene, even if you do not feel hurt.
- Request copies of all medical documents, records, and hospital bills.
- Report the car accident to DoorDash by calling their Customer Support line at (855) 431-0459.
- Contact a DoorDash accident attorney for legal advice before accepting a settlement.
Your goals after a car accident should be to get to safety, receive medical care and gather evidence, if possible. Then, when you are ready to pursue compensation, contact Morris Bart, LLC for a free consultation with an attorney.
Common Injuries Suffered in Delivery Vehicle Accidents
At Morris Bart, our New Orleans personal injury lawyers have represented clients with virtually all types of injuries in our more than 40 years of experience. We can help if you or a loved one suffered any kind of injury in a DoorDash crash, including a catastrophic injury or permanent disability.
Common injuries involved in DoorDash accident cases include:
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries
- Concussions
- Face and eye injuries
- Hand and wrist injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Lacerations
- Lower extremity injuries
- Neck injuries, such as whiplash
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrongful death
Many food delivery accidents involve distracted drivers who run red lights, roll through stop signs, and do not apply the brakes before colliding with a victim. This can increase the level of damage caused. If you or a loved one sustained any type or level of injury, our food delivery car accident lawyers can help you seek justice.
Contact a New Orleans DoorDash Accident Lawyer Today | Call (800) 537-8185
The car accident lawyers at Morris Bart have been handling DoorDash accident cases since this delivery company was founded. We have kept up with all of the rules, regulations, and laws that apply to car accidents involving DoorDash and other online food delivery services, including Postmates and Grubhub. Our attorneys are confident in their ability to navigate these unique types of car accident claims on behalf of injured clients.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a DoorDash accident in New Orleans, contact us without delay to schedule a free case evaluation. Call our law firm today at (800) 537-8185. We are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
