
- May 15, 2024
- Attorney Matt Stoddard
- Vehicle Accidents
In recent years Amazon has built new warehouses in Gwinnett County and in Newnan. While the company promised to create 1,500 jobs across the facilities, what they and government proponents didn’t address was the impact on local traffic and the safety of Georgia’s drivers.
The large warehouses are used for packing and shipping out individual Amazon customer orders. These orders are driven from the warehouses to customers’ homes, or to the next step on their shipping journey, aboard Amazon vehicles that often do not stick to established shipping routes.
Even if it were not for Amazon’s particularly alarming road safety record, it is probable that due to the sheer volume of traffic these warehouses create, they could be contributors to injuries and deaths on the state’s roadways. Individuals who believe that an Amazon truck or subcontractor vehicle caused their accident or their family member’s death may be able to obtain compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death claim.
Understanding The Traffic Consequences of Amazon Warehouses
While many cities have started out eager for the jobs and other apparent economic advantages of having an Amazon fulfillment center within their borders, they’re often less thrilled with the realities of living with Amazon’s day-to-day operations. Here are a couple of examples of opposition to the company’s operations in the last few years:
- Residents of Sacramento, California, pushed back against their local Amazon fulfillment center, saying it sends long convoys of company vehicles down residential streets every morning, making it impossible for residents to pull out of their driveways.
- The mayor of Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, threatened to sue the town’s Amazon fulfillment center for causing “unprecedented gridlock” on the streets during a holiday rush period. Though the dramatic impact on travel times was the most widely felt effect, the mayor also dubbed the warehouse and its holiday shipping volume “a very serious public safety issue.” Citing data from the Robbinsville Township Police Department, he stated that Amazon vehicles alone had been the direct cause of 25 accidents within the town during a 6-week period.
Atlanta already struggles with more traffic than its current infrastructure was built to handle. It ranks 10th among the 10 U.S. cities with the worst traffic. With the addition of more commercial traffic comes the potential for more accidents and injuries.
Your Rights If You Are in a Crash With An Amazon Delivery Truck
You have rights if you have been the unfortunate victim of a run-in with an Amazon vehicle. You could potentially receive compensation for your damages if the delivery driver’s negligence contributed to the accident. Damages in truck accident cases can include payment for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages and future lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage.
Damages in wrongful death claims may include funeral and burial costs, medical expenses, lost income of the deceased, and lost support and companionship, among others.
Contact The Stoddard Firm in Atlanta for Help with Your Amazon-Related Accident
The Stoddard Firm stands up fiercely for people hurt in Amazon-related crashes. If you’ve been injured in such an accident, call us at 470-467-2200 to arrange a free consultation about your options. Our law firm has extensive experience successfully taking on large corporations that try to deny responsibility for injury accidents.