Amazon drivers should expect support from dog owners after a dog bite incident while on the job. Victims must demand help with paying hospital bills and with replacing the income they lose while they can’t get back behind the wheel for Amazon. Victims might also be able to receive Worker’s Comp benefits and perhaps even seek help from Amazon under certain circumstances.
Unfortunately, even for victims who receive recovery help, the level of support isn’t the same for every patient. Amazon workers can be left with far less than they need to pay their medical expenses and support their families while they can’t work. A skilled Glendale dog bite lawyer takes on insurance companies and Amazon for victims and makes sure they have the support they require for as long as necessary.
Who Is Liable If I’m Bitten While Delivering for Amazon?
In California, dog owners are responsible for the actions of their pets, especially for dog bites. The state makes it easier for dog bite victims to hold dog owners accountable. Amazon drivers wouldn’t need to show proof of negligence on the part of the dog owner. Under the concept of “strict liability,” if the delivery person is bitten, then the owner is considered liable in almost every circumstance.
Even if the dog has never bitten anyone before, the dog owner is still liable for any bite. In some cases, dog owners are let off the hook if a bite victim is trespassing at the time of the attack. But that wouldn’t usually apply to an Amazon driver. By ordering a delivery, the owner is generally giving delivery employees permission to enter their property. Delivery drivers also can’t have been provoking the dog, which shouldn’t be a factor either.
The burden falls on the dog owner to restrain the dog or secure it in an enclosure or fenced-in yard that the pet can’t easily escape. Owners must not let a dog rush out of an open door as the delivery driver approaches.
In a dog bite case, the dog owner will likely be responsible, but other parties could also have to help fund the Amazon driver’s recovery:
The Dog Owner – Amazon employees would usually sue the dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renters insurance provider. In some cases, a dog owner without insurance would have to be targeted directly in a lawsuit.
Landlord or Property Management Company – A delivery to an apartment, condo, or other rental property might leave a property management company liable. The landlord might owe recovery support if the dog was a known danger and had been reported before. If the landlord took no action to protect tenants and visitors or failed to evict a negligent resident, a lawsuit is possible.
Workers’ Compensation – Amazon pays into Workers’ Comp insurance to cover some drivers. Amazon full-time employees could draw Workers’ Comp benefits if they are hurt. Amazon Flex workers, who are considered contract employees, usually cannot draw benefits. For those who qualify, this is another source of dog bite recovery help, but not every injured worker gets the same level of support. The California Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC) administrators can make it difficult for injured victims to get full support. A Glendale Workers’ Compensation Attorney can represent dog bite victims and fight to secure more support for as long as the victim is out of work.
Amazon – Injured Amazon delivery workers would usually have to file an injury claim against a dog owner or rely on Workers’ Comp. However, if Amazon is found to be negligent in the care and safety of its employees, a lawsuit could be successful. This might occur if an address or customer has been complained about before, and yet Amazon continued to send workers into an unsafe situation. The victim may have been the one to report the dog risk, and then been forced to return. Maison Law would also be ready to take action if Amazon tried to fire a worker or punish the worker for getting hurt.
A Glendale dog bite attorney would collect evidence to force any negligent party to accept blame. This might include more than one party, making it possible for the victim to receive benefits and support from multiple insurance companies.
What if I’m on a delivery and I Get Knocked Down by a Dog?
If a delivery driver is knocked down and injured, and no bite is involved, the victim could still seek injury assistance from the dog owner or anyone else. However, the “strict liability” that makes bite injury claims easier wouldn’t apply.
However, the knockdown injury claim could be handled as a normal personal injury claim. A bit more evidence would be needed to show that the dog owner was negligent in keeping the dog restrained. Amazon drivers would also need to prove the dog’s actions caused the fall.
These types of claims are common because a dog’s out-of-control actions, even when just excited and not aggressive, can cause major fall injuries. A delivery employee could even be knocked down stairs. The dog owner is still responsible for these mishaps.
A Maison Law attorney can help Amazon drivers build a strong case and then secure full recovery compensation from a dog owner or anyone else who was liable.
What Can I Get Compensation For After Being Bitten on a Delivery?
Amazon drivers suffering a bite can require weeks, months, or even years of support to recover. In some cases, they can suffer a devastating wound that leads to a permanent physical disability. This might leave victims with a permanent restriction on mobility. They may never be able to get behind a delivery van wheel again.
A bite can break bones and do serious damage to nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Bites can become infected and refuse to heal. They might leave a scar or a permanent disfigurement. An Amazon employee should never face these consequences alone.
Your dog bite attorney would make sure every damage you absorb after a dog bite suffered on the job would be covered. Your lawyer would seek compensation for you for these and other factors:
- Compensation for every medical bill you receive for dog bite treatment and an estimate on the medical care you may need in the years to come.
- Lifelong support for permanent disability suffered that may keep you from ever going back to your Amazon job again.
- Additional Support for a permanent disfigurement resulting from a dog bite wound.
- Compensation for pain and suffering. Support for the pain you’ve been through and the pain you may still experience years down the road. The emotional trauma you may experience after a frightening dog attack would earn substantial support.
- Amazon employees should receive reimbursement for every paycheck, promotion, and benefit they’ve lost while having to be away from their positions.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. In the most tragic cases, when an Amazon worker is killed by a dog or later dies from the injuries, families are awarded financial support. The close relatives of victims may receive money to pay for a funeral and any remaining hospital bills. They could also receive reimbursement for the paychecks victims can no longer provide for their families through work at Amazon. There are also death benefits provided through Workers’ Comp for families.
Contact a Glendale Amazon Dog Bite Lawyer Today
We offer a free and confidential case review to all Amazon employees in Glendale who have suffered a dog bite while on a delivery. If your injuries are serious, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. It’s a no-risk way to determine what your case is worth and how to hold a dog owner and others fully liable.
And if you do need Maison Law’s help to secure more in support, remember that you don’t need to worry about having the money to hire a lawyer. We don’t get paid unless we win your dog bite case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurance company must provide.
