Philadelphia offers some of the best food choices in the world. People get cravings at all hours and with the convenience of food delivery services like Grubhub that cheesesteak can be on your doorstep in minutes.
You may not think about all those delivery cars on the road until you head out on the streets yourself. With the fleets of cars and trucks bringing everything to our front porch, accidents are bound to happen. Grubhub drivers are like anyone else on the road, they can get distracted, but when you’re on the clock and behind the wheel, the distractions only multiply. That can make sharing the lanes with delivery drivers a risky proposition.
Grubhub Hazards on Philadelphia Streets
According to Grubhub’s own website, they receive around 647,000 orders, or “grubs”, a day. These orders generally mean a driver takes a road trip to a restaurant, then a trip to the customer’s home, and then a trip back home or to a central location where they can await orders. That’s a lot of travel on Philadelphia highways and byways.
This constant traffic with speedy delivery as the goal can put other drivers on the road at heightened risk. One bad choice by these Grubhub drivers can force other drivers who happen to be near them into an accident.
A driver may suffer serious injuries and be left to wonder how to hold the at-fault driver responsible and if his or her Grubhub employer may be liable as well. An experienced Philadelphia attorney with The Pearce Law Firm can help you answer these questions and also ensure that you get proper compensation for your recovery and any lost time from work due to the collision.
Distracted Grubhub Driver Accidents
The threat from Grubhub’s business model in Philadelphia comes down to more vehicles on the road with more drivers that may be distracted by their work. Those drivers may have their minds on some of the following:
- Customer Order-Up. The wait for the next customer. Multiple orders may come in at once. Some orders have special instructions. All distractions behind the wheel.
- Locating Destinations. The driver will need to find the restaurant to pick-up the order and then figure out how to reach the customer’s location. Delivery Drivers utilize GPS systems but even the guidance those devices provide has been known to suggest unsafe traffic movements.
- Speeding to make their deadlines for delivery. Customers prefer their food to be warm.
- Driver Fatigue from working too many hours.
- The food itself can become a factor if something spills or bags tumble.
Philadelphia delivery drivers can be distracted by so many more things than a normal driver. Factor in that a delivery driver’s car is their office and it can mean more distracted driving accidents.
Compensation After a Grubhub Accident
Grubhub requires its drivers to carry their own auto insurance policy. Grubhub provides no coverage for their drivers beyond that, but if you can prove that Grubhub was negligent in their hiring practices and safety precautions, such as not thoroughly checking a driver’s history, they can be held accountable in a claim.
Keep in mind, the city of Philadelphia allows a victim to file a claim for up to two years from the date of the accident.
It is not recommended that you wait until the end of this deadline to file. The longer you wait to file a lawsuit the harder it will be to gather evidence, contact witnesses, and collect documents you’ll need to build a strong case against Grubhub and their driver.
When the carelessness and negligence of a delivery driver cause an accident, the victim is protected by state law and is allowed to seek compensation for injures and even non-financial factors. Damages might include but aren’t limited to the following:
- Medical bills after the accident
- Ongoing medical care in the future and any medical apparatus the victim may need.
- Loss of income due to missed work.
- Psychological pain or trauma during and after the recovery.
- Property Damage
- Travel Expenses
Contact a Philadelphia Auto Accident Lawyer
Grubhub rushes out meals to millions of customers, but that doesn’t mean it can ignore safe practices like hiring good drivers who use safe vehicles for delivery. If you’re struck by a Grubhub driver and left with injuries you’ll need to take steps to hold that driver and Grubhub responsible for your recovery and financial losses.
After any accident involving a serious injury, contact a highly rated Philadelphia Auto Accident Lawyer such as Edith Pearce. Unlike the huge law firms with many different attorneys handling your case, Edith Pearce is personally involved in every case that we handle. She genuinely cares about her clients and you will not be treated like just another case or file.