Commercial Vehicle Accident

Houston Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney

For more than 25 years, Sgt. Pike has represented car accident victims who were injured by commercial vehicles. Whether it’s an 18-wheeler accident, a FedEx or UPS delivery truck, a taxi service, or any other commercial vehicle, the company and their insurance providers are responsible for compensating their victims for their medical care, lost income, vehicle repair, pain and suffering.

Injured in a Rideshare Accident?

Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft have made it easier than ever for people without cars to move around the Houston area. All you have to do is press a button and in minutes someone shows up to take you wherever you need to go. But this convenience comes with a price. Rideshare apps are different from professional taxi services in many ways. First, Lyft and Uber drivers are paid by volume; the more drivers they can pick up and drop off, the more money they will make. The demand to pick up more passengers relegates safety-first driving to the back seat as rideshare drivers rush around the city, often cutting corners on traffic laws. What’s even more worrying is that rideshare companies set a low barrier of entry for the drivers they’re willing to employ. Their standards just aren't that high. There’s no driver safety training or ongoing driver safety courses. If you want to drive for Uber or Lyft today, all you have to do is pass a basic background check and you’re ready to pick up passengers. As a result of these policies, there is a fleet of so-called “professional drivers” who are racing around Houston and surrounding cities and areas such as Katy and Magnolia  as fast as they can to pick up and drop off passengers, but with as much training behind the wheel as the average high school freshman. And as ridesharing services become even more popular, reckless Uber and Lyft drivers take up more and more of the road. Essentially, Uber and Lyft have turned anyone who can pass a background check into an army of untrained, unsafe drivers who have totally invaded Houston streets. Is it any wonder that they cause serious accidents?

Accidents with Amazon Drivers

There’s no doubt that Amazon has changed the game when it comes to having packages delivered quickly. When we need a product delivered to us in a timely manner, we can usually find it on Amazon and have it on our doorstep by the next day, including Sundays. Sometimes we can get it in a matter of hours or even less. Amazon says that the reason they’re so fast is because they maximize efficiency in their warehouses. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Every day, Amazon delivery trucks and Amazon Flex independent contract drivers make their way down every Houston street. They’re on tight delivery deadlines mandated by the company so that the Amazon brand can maintain its reputation for fast delivery. What this means is that every Amazon driver is trying to go as fast as they legally can to fulfill orders. Many drivers forego lunches or don’t pull over if they get tired. Because of workplace pressure and company policies, they don’t have the time for such luxuries. They’re perfectly primed to get into accidents with other drivers on the road.

Amazon and Uber Make Roads Unsafe

Uber and Lyft try their hardest to fudge the numbers on their accident rates. They often pay for studies that show their drivers as either in line with or below the national car accident statistics. But these studies only collect data on fatal accidents and leave out drivers who are involved in non-fatal serious accidents. A recent ProPublica news investigation revealed how, time after time, Amazon corporate policy prioritizes speed, profit, and explosive growth over public safety. Drivers carrying Amazon packages have been involved in more than 60 car crashes since 2015 that caused serious injuries and the deaths of at least 13 people. Many of these accidents could have been prevented if Amazon didn’t incentivize their drivers to disregard common sense road safety.

Amazon, Uber, and Lyft Will Try to Get Out of Paying You

Whether you’re injured while riding in an Uber or a Lyft, or you were hit by an Amazon delivery driver or an on-duty Uber or Lyft driver, the company will do their best to weasel out of the responsibility of paying for your damages. Since all rideshare and Amazon Flex drivers are independent contractors, the company will try to claim that they are not at fault when their on-duty employees are in serious accidents. They want to send you to the driver’s personal car insurance provider to work out a settlement with them. But this is just a dirty trick— Uber drivers, Lyft drivers, and Amazon Flex drivers who use their own vehicles for deliveries are working for these companies. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have been driving at that time and driving as recklessly as they were when they hit you. These companies are liable for the actions of their independent contractors, whether they like it or not. If you are in an accident with an Amazon delivery truck, it’s exactly the same as if you were hit by an 18-wheeler , dump truck, or other delivery truck such as a FedEx or UPS delivery truck. These are professional drivers who must adhere to safety standards far above those of the regular driver, and Amazon is 100% liable for the damages that their driver caused to both you and your vehicle.

What Are the Steps I Should Take After an Uber Accident?

Just like a regular car accident, truck accident, or 18-wheeler accident, the first thing you need to do after an accident is document everything. Take pictures of the accident on your phone and document your location on the street. If your car is drivable, DO NOT MOVE IT BEFORE THE AUTHORITIES ARRIVE. Commercial drivers who work for Uber, Lyft, and Amazon are trained by the company to do whatever they can to invalidate the accident right from the start. They’ll try to get you to move your vehicles “to get out of traffic,” but once you’re moved to a safer location there is no longer any way for the authorities to know what happened. Once the authorities arrive, be as truthful with them as you can be. Make sure to disclose any injuries you may be feeling, however minor, and provide the facts of the accident to the best of your recollection. When your accident is accurately documented by the proper authorities, Attorney Sgt. Pike and his team are in a much better position to help you.

How Much Does Uber Pay for Accidents?

Rideshare companies are insured just like any other commercial vehicle. Whether you were injured in an accident with an Uber driver, a Lyft driver, an Amazon Flex driver, an Amazon delivery truck, or even a FedEx or UPS delivery vehicle, the standard insurance policy is $1 million. While this doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to receive $1 million in any accident, that is the amount of money that insurance companies have set aside for every vehicle accident involving a commercial vehicle like an Uber, Lyft, and Amazon truck.

Do I Have to Tell My Insurance That I Drive for Uber?

If you drive for Uber or Lyft and your personal auto insurance company finds out, their usual first step is to revoke your policy. Insurance companies will tell you that it’s best practice to disclose to them how you use your car daily, under the pretense that they can save you money by accurately calculating your premiums. But the truth is that they will have more information to deny you claims in the future. And if you drive for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft and they find out, their first step will be to cut you loose. For Big Insurance, it’s simply too risky to have you driving on their policy when you’re much more likely to get into an accident.

What Can I Do to Protect My Rights After an Uber Accident?

If you’ve been caused harm and are getting the runaround from Amazon or ridesharing companies, you need someone on your side who won’t flinch in the face of corporate greed. Sgt. Pike and his T.A.R.T.™ team will deploy to your crash to track every detail and log every piece of information that could help your case. Our experienced team of car accident and truck accident investigators will get to the bottom of your car wreck and find out what Amazon, Lyft, and Uber don’t want you to know: that they owe you for the harm they’ve caused.

If you have been injured in an accident with an Amazon driver, an Uber driver, a Lyft driver, or any other delivery or ridesharing vehicle, there’s no time to waste. Call Sgt. Pike today to see that justice gets done.