Delivery drivers bitten by a dog in California can usually expect recovery help from the dog owner. California law holds owners responsible for bite injuries in most situations. Victims might also be able to sue their employers if patients were sent to an address with a known risk.
Dog Bite Risks for Uber Eats Drivers
Delivery drivers for companies like Uber Eats never know what they’ll encounter as they approach a stranger’s front porch. They may never see the customer, but unfortunately, they may encounter a protective pet.
These are just a few of the ways an Uber Eats employee could receive a painful bite wound while on a delivery:
- A dog may be carelessly left free on a front porch and be startled and tempted to bite when a delivery driver approaches.
- A dog may rush out of a home when an owner opens the door to greet an Uber Eats driver.
- The dog could escape a back yard fence due to a broken gate latch.
- An aggressive dog or even an overly excited friendly dog may knock a delivery person down or down some stairs to suffer a dangerous injury.
In California, dog owners are required to protect others from their pets. They must act to keep dogs leashed when they are away from home. They must also ensure that dogs are in a secure enclosure that they can’t escape from if they are kept in a yard.
Holding Dog Owners Responsible After Being Bitten by a Dog While on an Uber Eats Delivery
In California, dog owners are generally always held financially liable when their dogs bite someone. California operates under a “strict liability” legal concept. It means owners are responsible for most any bite wound, even if the dog has never bitten anyone before.
Dog owners must help dog bite victims in recovery in all but a few circumstances:
- The victim can’t have been trespassing when the bite occurred. Uber Delivery drivers usually wouldn’t be considered to be trespassing when approaching a customer’s yard, porch, or front door.
- The victim can’t have provoked the dog. A delivery driver usually wouldn’t provoke a dog while trying to remain safe. They also might think twice about acting so foolishly while on the clock for their jobs.
- A bite must have occurred. But the bite doesn’t have to break the skin.
As long as these exceptions weren’t a factor, the Uber delivery driver could usually hold the dog owner responsible without proving any negligence on the part of the owner. The owner is liable simply for allowing a bite to occur.
What If I’m Knocked Down and Injured by a Dog?
Victims could still file a personal injury claim and seek help with their injuries, but since a dog bite didn’t occur, strict liability couldn’t be used in the case. As mentioned above, strict liability only applies to bites.
With a knockdown injury, the case would play out as a normal personal injury case. Instead of relying on strict liability, victims would need to show stronger proof that the dog owner’s negligence led to a fall.
A skilled California dog bite lawyer would help injured workers gather the evidence needed to show a dog owner’s carelessness. The evidence would also need to show that the dog’s actions caused the worker to fall. Once it’s established that the dog caused a damaging fall, the lawyer would demand full compensation for the patient’s medical bills and lost earnings while they can’t drive for Uber Eats.
Can I Sue Uber Eats If I’m Bitten by a Dog While Making a Delivery?
In some cases, yes. In most cases, dog bite victims would simply file claims against a dog owner to receive help. This might be the only option in many cases, because Uber Eats drivers are considered contract workers. Uber Eats uses this to try to avoid responsibility for its drivers and their accidents and injuries.
However, if Uber Eats were guilty of putting drivers at known risk, the company may be partly or fully liable for the patient’s hardships.
For instance, if other employees had noted complaints that a certain address had an aggressive dog, a lawsuit may be justified. If Uber sent another employee to the same address after being made aware of the danger, it might be liable for the consequences.
An attorney used to representing workers against giant corporations would be able to collect strong evidence and hold an employer fully responsible for a preventable accident.
Contact a California Uber Eats Accident Lawyer Today
We offer a free and confidential case review to all Uber Eats employees suffering 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 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 Uber must provide.
