Food delivery services have become much more popular as new delivery services have made it possible to get food delivered from some of your favorite restaurants that don’t offer traditional delivery. Services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Bite Squad, GrubHub and more allow third-party delivery drivers to stop at participating restaurants, pick up your order and deliver it to your door.
But what happens if one of these delivery drivers is injured while delivering food? Normally they’d file a claim through the restaurant they are working for, but they are being contracted by a third party provider in this instance. In today’s blog, we take a look at your legal rights if you are injured while delivering food for a delivery service like Uber Eats Or DoorDash.
Delivery Service Injuries
You don’t have to jump through a lot of hoops before you can start driving for a number of these delivery companies, but once they approve you to drive, you are considered an employee of the company. Even if they are contracting your services, it’s unlikely that you would be classified as an independent contractor ineligible for workers’ compensation coverage from the company you’re working for. That means you don’t need to sign up or pay for your own workers’ compensation coverage.
It also means that you are covered the entire time while you are working. If you are leaving your house and heading to pick up food for a customer, you’re still covered by your employer’s policy even though you have yet to pick up the food. You were performing work duties at the time of the injury, therefore, you should have no trouble filing for and collecting workers’ compensation.
Automobile accidents are likely the type of injuries that first come to mind for delivery drivers, but these aren’t the only ways to be eligible for workers’ compensation. If you slip on an icy walkway, are bitten by a dog while delivering food or you develop a repetitive strain injury from performing repetitive actions (like carpal tunnel or tendonitis) you may be eligible for workers’ compensation or a different type of injury compensation. You’ll be able to collect workers’ compensation for any bodily damage you incur, but if you suffer property damage in the form of vehicle damage, you’ll have to pursue a personal injury claim. We can help with those as well!
If you are injured while delivering food and you are contracted by a delivery service company, know that you do not need a lawyer by your side in order to file a claim. That said, your employer will have a bevy of lawyers on their side, and they’ll be doing everything in their power to reduce their liability and provide you with the lowest payout possible. You’ll want a professional in your corner if you hope to earn fair compensation, and that’s where Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm come in.
We’ve been helping employees get the compensation they deserve after a work injury, and we’ve been successful in earning these awards for delivery drivers in this relatively new third-party delivery system that has developed. Don’t get left out in the cold because you don’t have a traditional employer for your delivery job. You need an ally in these situations, and the team at Margolis Law Firm is here to help. So if you’ve been injured while delivering food, or you just have questions about a different type of injury claim, pick up the phone, call (952) 230-2700 today to learn about your options.
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