- November 17, 2022
- Attorney Matt Stoddard
- Vehicle Accidents
Whenever you see an Amazon delivery truck out making its rounds, there’s a good chance it’s not technically owned by Amazon. And when you see a delivery truck with an obscure logo or no logo at all, there’s a good chance what it’s delivering was ordered on Amazon.
This is because, in addition to its in-house delivery services, Amazon contracts with hundreds of local delivery companies. Although classified as “independent” subcontractors, many of these local companies are founded solely on promises from Amazon and have no other clients, giving Amazon near-total control over them.
In some cases, Amazon has provided its contractors with Mercedes Sprinter vans, a commercial vehicle small enough to avoid many regulations. In others, the company has left contractors to use their own vehicles, and sued to avoid placing Amazon insignia on them.
The most consistent theme across reports from numerous subcontractors is the intense pressure Amazon places on fast delivery at all costs.
When this business culture inevitably causes tragedy, Amazon’s standard procedure is to blame the subcontractor and deny all responsibility.
An 8-Year-Old Is Recovering from an Amazon Delivery Accident in Fayette County
Late in the afternoon of October 10th, a driver delivering packages for an Amazon subcontractor came to a stop at the intersection of Ivy Vale Court and Bellway Court in Tyrone.
According to the driver, he noticed a group of children in the roadway and waited for them to pass by. When he believed the way was clear, he began moving again and immediately heard a scraping sound. He stopped, got out, and found an 8-year-old with a bicycle trapped under the delivery van. Paramedics were able to rescue the child with the use of a vehicle jack.
The injuries were not life-threatening but required hospital care.
How exactly the child ended up under the van is not yet clear. The driver may have been underqualified, or compromised by stress or exhaustion. The van, a Ram ProMaster comparable in size to a standard Mercedes Sprinter, may have had inadequate visibility, either due to a design flaw or an excess of packages in the cabin.
In any case, this child’s injuries happened during the course of activities that profit Amazon, and were almost certainly controlled by Amazon.
The Stoddard Firm Has a Successful Track Record of Holding Amazon Accountable
As hard as Amazon tries to insulate itself against responsibility for its drivers, the strategy of exploiting and sacrificing small subcontractor businesses is not legally sound. Companies like Amazon are liable for any negligent acts performed under their control, whether or not that control takes the form of an official employment contract.
The Stoddard Firm has represented multiple survivors of Amazon accidents. Often, these survivors had been told that their losses were the responsibility of a struggling and minimally insured subcontractor. They were told they would never be able to collect meaningful compensation, because the funds simply didn’t exist anywhere but in Amazon’s off-limits pockets.
Time and again, we’ve proven that assessment wrong. We’ve won high value settlements for our clients, by establishing Amazon as the de facto employer of the negligent delivery drivers.
If you are the guardian of the child who was injured in Tyrone, or if you have also been harmed by an Amazon delivery vehicle, reach out to The Stoddard Firm to learn more about how we can help
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]