Visalia Uber Eats employees bitten by a dog can seek help with their recovery costs from the dog owner. If Uber Eats sent drivers to an address with a known dog bite risk, Uber itself might be held partially liable for injury hardships.
Are Dog Owners Responsible When a Dog Bites an Uber Eats Delivery Person?
California follows the doctrine of “strict liability” for all dog bite cases. It means that dog owners will almost always be held responsible for a bite. This strict liability makes it easier for delivery drivers to assign blame and get the support they need from the dog owner’s insurer.
Victims don’t need to prove negligence. They simply need to show that the person owned the dog that lashed out in a bite incident. Owners are liable even if the dog has no history of violence.
A few factors could excuse the dog owner from blame, but they usually wouldn’t apply to Uber Eats drivers just doing their jobs:
- The victim can’t have been trespassing when the bite occurred. Uber Delivery drivers usually wouldn’t be considered trespassers when called to an address to make a delivery. There’s implied permission to enter a yard and front porch.
- The victim can’t have provoked the dog. A delivery driver would probably avoid provoking a dog if they wanted to avoid a painful bite.
- A bite must have occurred in order to benefit from strict liability legal standards. 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.
When There Is No Bite: If a dog knocks a delivery employee down to cause an injury, the victim could still seek damages. However, without a bite to report, the case would be resolved as a normal personal injury case. Strict liability wouldn’t apply.
The victim would need to prove a bit more to hold the dog owner accountable. This would include demonstrating that the dog owner’s actions allowed the accident to occur, i.e., not putting a dog on a leash, or failing to put it in a crate when a delivery person was expected. A Maison Law Attorney would also help prove that the dog caused a fall and, in turn, caused the delivery driver to get injured.
The dog may have just been friendly and didn’t intend to harm, but dog owners must share in any harm done to the victim’s wellbeing and ability to earn a paycheck.
Dog Bite Dangers for Uber Delivery Drivers
Hungry families in neighborhoods like Shannon Ranch and Mooney can order up some fast meals on Uber Eats. It’s a great service, but drivers entering the front porches of careless residents can lead to encounters with dogs.
Homeowners can allow big pets to run free without respect for the law, leading to a bite on anyone trying to deliver a bag of food. Residents could forget to secure a dog before opening a door for a delivery person. Residents may house a pet in a backyard behind a fence that isn’t secure enough.
These are all easy ways Uber Eats employees can receive a terrible injury. Drivers can end up at Kaweah Health Medical Center with cuts and major puncture wounds. With Uber Eats drivers, a major injury can not only change the patient’s normal routine, but it can also make it impossible for them to return to their jobs.
These are a few of the types of injuries that Uber Eats employees may have to get treated:
- Puncture Bite Wounds and Deep Cuts
- Tissue Damage, including muscle, tendon, and ligament tears
- Broken bones, especially in the hands and fingers
- Nerve Damage
- Crush Injuries
- Infections, including Rabies and Tetanus
- Facial lacerations and permanent disfigurements
- Emotional Trauma Including PTSD Symptoms
Can I Ask Uber Eats for Support?
Uber Eats employees hurt on the job by a dog bite incident would usually seek support from the dog owner. They may also be eligible for Workers’ Comp benefits in California.
Unfortunately, Uber Eats considers its delivery drivers contract workers. It means the corporation usually wouldn’t be liable for the employees’ injuries on the job.
However, there are some instances where Uber Eats could share in the blame and be forced to help victims.
A skilled attorney would look for signs that the address where you were attacked had put other Uber employees at risk. If complaints were made and Uber Eats didn’t act to keep subsequent employees safe, a lawsuit and a win in court could be possible. It may be a case of you or another driver reporting an unsafe home with a dog, but no action was taken.
You would likely ask for help with any recovery costs that a claim with the dog owner’s insurance didn’t provide for. This can be an important additional protection, because dog owners might have only basic insurance coverage that may hit its limit before all of your medical bills had been paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim over a dog bite suffered on a delivery?
California extends the statute of limitations to two years for most dog bite cases. Wait longer than that time, and the dog owner probably can’t be held responsible anymore.
What if I can’t afford to pay for a dog bite lawyer?
And at such a difficult time, you don’t need to worry about finding the money to hire strong legal representation. Maison Law works on a contingency basis for dog bite victims. It means we don’t get paid unless we win the case for you and your family. Then our fee is paid out of the money a car insurance company is forced to provide.
What type of support can be offered in a dog bite injury settlement?
Your attorney would demand compensation to pay all current medical bills and to cover any future care that’s needed. The paychecks and job benefits lost while you can’t make Uber Eats deliveries must be reimbursed. You should also expect assistance with non-economic hardships, like the pain they are left with and the emotional trauma caused by a frightening dog encounter while at work.
Contact a Visalia Uber Eats Dog Bite 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. Our Visalia dog bite lawyers 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.
