Amazon Truck Accidents in Washington

The promise of 2-day shipping and low prices entices many of us to keep clicking the “Add to Cart” button over and over again. But what we rarely see is the risk that motorists are put at for our fast deliveries. Amazon truck accidents in Washington have been on the rise for several years, and we might finally be reaching a breaking point.

If you’ve been hurt by an Amazon truck or van delivery driver, you have a right to compensation for your injuries. And just as importantly, your actions might also have a positive impact on the safety and well-being of those around you.

Amazon Delivery Trucks—a Legacy of Injury and Loss

Drivers carrying Amazon packages caused more than 60 injury-causing accidents and at least 13 deaths between 2015 and 2019. These aren’t just nameless and faceless victims.

  • In March 2021, an Amazon delivery van crashed into the vehicle that 24-year-old Ans Rana was riding in. He suffered spinal cord injuries and brain injuries.
  • In Jan. 2019, a driver carrying Amazon packages crashed into 9-month-old Gabrielle Kennedy’s mother’s jeep. The infant was killed in the crash.
  • In June 2018, a delivery driver employed by an Amazon contractor hit 61-year-old Stacey Hayes Curry while she was walking. She was killed in the accident.
  • In Dec. 2016, an Amazon delivery contractor hit and killed 85-year-old Telesfora Escamilla while she was crossing the road in a marked crosswalk.

The actual number of Amazon-related accidents could potentially be much higher. This is because the online retailer relies on a vast network of contracted truck companies and delivery drivers.

These trucks and delivery vans don’t necessarily show any Amazon branding and delivery drivers are less likely to wear the easy-to-recognize “Prime Blue” uniforms.

The Most Common Causes of Amazon Truck and Delivery Van Crashes

At Trucking Injury Law Group, our legal team is familiar with the most common causes of Amazon truck and delivery accidents in Washington, including:

  • Driver fatigue
  • Driver inexperience
  • Speeding
  • Distracted driving
  • Driver inattention
  • Impaired driving (from drugs or alcohol)
  • Mechanical failure
  • Tire breakdown

Many Amazon accidents can be traced back to driver error. These types of errors are often a direct result of Amazon’s business practices, including its promise of 2-day shipping for Prime customers. When fulfillment workers and drivers are held to tight delivery windows with impossibly high quotas, accidents are inevitable.

Injuries Associated with Big Truck and Delivery Van Accidents

Delivery vans and big trucks like 18-wheelers tend to weigh a lot more than smaller passenger vehicles like cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans. In crashes involving a bigger commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and a smaller car, the big truck will win every time.

Injuries and deaths are much more common among passenger vehicle occupants. Some of the most common injuries that victims suffer include:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Neck and back injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
  • Broken bones
  • Organ damage
  • Internal bleeding
  • Deep cuts and lacerations
  • Facial injuries
  • Dental and jaw injuries
  • Loss of limb (amputation)
  • Death

These are serious, life-altering, and frequently traumatic injuries. Treatment can be costly and time-intensive. And the lasting psychological damage and lingering pain can persist for a lifetime.

Can I Sue Amazon for a Delivery Truck Accident?

As the largest online retailer in the United States, Amazon has a responsibility to its customers and its workers. This is not a responsibility that the company appears to take seriously, though.

Amazon has repeatedly denied responsibility for truck accidents involving its delivery trucks or contracted drivers. The company’s most effective barrier to any type of legal responsibility is the way that it classifies its drivers.

When Amazon has been sued for truck crashes in the past, they’ve shielded themselves from liability by asserting that their delivery drivers are not technically employees.

This does not mean there is no hope. If you’ve been injured in an Amazon truck accident in Washington, you have the right to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit, and Trucking Injury Law Group is here to help. We can help evaluate your claim and then build the strongest and most effective case possible on your behalf.

Because at Trucking Injury Law Group, truck accidents are what we handle—and they’re all we handle.

A History of Unsafe Trucking Practices at Amazon

Amazon has repeatedly prioritized expanding its logistics and delivery network over the safety and well-being of its drivers, other motorists, and customers. One report showed that proposed safety requirements would have included mandatory drug testing for drivers.

Executives cut these and other safety standards in an effort to save money.

Unqualified or unsafe truck drivers were also routinely hired as the company strove to rapidly expand its fleet, including drivers with night blindness or who admitted to using medical marijuana.

A Widespread Culture of Danger at Every Level of Amazon

Safety concerns permeate every stage of an Amazon order, from the warehouse to the final delivery. Amazon warehouses have injury rates that are twice as high compared to non-Amazon warehouses, and nearly 25% of Amazon delivery drivers suffer injuries every year.

Again and again, we have seen Amazon prioritize profits and quotas over safety.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident with an Amazon delivery truck, contract driver, or Amazon Freight Partner, get in touch with Trucking Injury Law Group as soon as possible. The sooner we get started on your case, the sooner we’ll be able to collect important evidence before it disappears.

How Many Packages Does Amazon Deliver?

In 2019, Amazon delivered approximately 3.5 billion packages across the entire world. By 2021, that figure had more than doubled to 7.7 billion global packages.

Amazon isn’t just delivering more packages year after year; it’s also getting them into the hands of its customers faster than ever. In 2019, U.S. Prime members received 1.8 billion units either the same day they ordered or just one day later.

Types of Delivery Trucks Amazon Uses

Starting in 2012, Amazon began constructing an in-house logistics network, complete with trailers and company drivers. In addition to Amazon Logistics, the online retail giant also relies on other freight companies and even helps individuals start their own trucking companies through its Amazon Freight Partner program.

In the United States, Amazon’s own logistics arm delivers approximately 22% of all packages.

Amazon relies on a variety of vehicles and methods of transportation to get consumer goods to their warehouses, on the road, and then to customers’ front doors, including ocean freighters and airplanes.

You might be more familiar with these types of delivery trucks and vans, though:

  • Amazon truck trailers
  • Embark driverless trucks (limited to portions of Interstate 10)
  • Mercedes-Benz sprinter vans (the iconic delivery vans)
  • Rivian electric vans
  • Utilimaster walk-in vans

Because Amazon’s Flex Program allows workers to pick up smaller shifts at times that are most convenient to them, some deliveries are also completed in drivers’ personal vehicles.

What To Do After an Accident with an Amazon Truck

The steps you take after an accident with an Amazon delivery truck or van matter. At Trucking Injury Law Group, we recommend that you follow as many of our top seven steps as possible:

  1. Call 911. Ask that police and an ambulance be sent to the scene of the accident right away.
  2. Seek appropriate medical care. Allow emergency responders to evaluate your condition at the scene and let them transport you to the hospital in an ambulance if necessary. Otherwise, seek care at the nearest emergency room or with your primary care doctor.
  3. Exchange information with the driver. Be sure to get their driver’s license and employer information.
  4. Take pictures and videos. Before you leave the scene, take pictures and videos of the crash site. Ask a friend or family member to return to the scene to take pictures if you were unable to do so.
  5. File a police report. Washington state requires that all accidents involving injury, death, or at least $1,000 in property damage be reported to the police.
  6. Keep records of everything. No bill or letter from the insurance company is too small or inconsequential. Keep copies of everything related to your case in a safe place.
  7. Schedule a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer. You deserve to know what your legal options are. Schedule a free meeting with an attorney from Trucking Injury Law Group.

Don’t worry if you can’t complete every one of our recommended steps. No matter what stage of the claims process you’re at, we’re here to help.

If you’ve been injured in a crash with an Amazon delivery driver, our expert team of delivery truck accident attorneys will be your steadfast guides through the legal system as you attempt to recover compensation for your losses.

What Compensation Can I Get for an Amazon Delivery Truck Collision?

In most truck accident cases, compensation can be broken down into compensatory and non-compensatory damages. Let’s take a closer look at what these terms mean.

Compensatory Damages for Washington Truck Accidents

In Washington state, compensatory damages compensate victims for their accident-related losses. These may be categorized as either economic or noneconomic damages.

Your economic damages are your tangible and calculable financial losses. These may include:

  • Medical bills (including those for past, current, and future care)
  • Lost wages
  • Reduced earning capacity
  • Loss of benefits
  • Property damage
  • Domestic services (like housekeeping and childcare)
  • Transportation costs

Noneconomic damages are less tangible and do not come with a price tag. What they compensate you for are the real and lasting ways that your life has forever been changed, such as:

  • Ongoing pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of companionship or consortium
  • Loss of enjoyment in life
  • Disfigurement

And if you’ve lost a loved one because of an Amazon driver’s negligent or reckless actions behind the wheel, you and your family might also be able to recover compensation for funeral and burial expenses, among other losses.

Non-Compensatory Damages

In a small number of truck crash cases, judges and juries may also choose to award punitive damages. These are non-compensatory damages because they are not intended to compensate victims for any particular loss.

Instead, they are used to punish the at-fault party for especially negligent or reckless behavior. The goal of punitive damages is to leverage financial punishment against the at-fault party, discouraging them and others from engaging in the same or similar behaviors in the future.

Why Work with Trucking Injury Law Group?

We are a multi-state law group serving clients nationwide. Every lawyer on our team was brought together by a single unifying goal—to advocate for truck accident victims when no one else would.

When you choose to work with a Washington truck accident attorney from Trucking Injury Law Group, you’ll have the backing of a legal team that is wholly dedicated to you and your case. You can count on us to:

  • Provide a free initial consultation to determine whether we are the right fit for your case and your needs.
  • Collect and analyze all relevant evidence.
  • Take over communications and negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf.
  • Correctly value the worth of your truck accident case the first time so that you don’t miss out on any financial recourse.
  • Work with outside experts when necessary, including health care professionals and accident reconstruction specialists.
  • Negotiate a full and fair settlement on your behalf or take the at-fault party to court if they refuse to play fair.

Most importantly, when you choose Trucking Injury Law Group, you’ll know that you always have someone on your side.

Trucking Injury Law Group—Fighting for Victims of Amazon Truck Accidents in Washington

If you or a loved one was injured in an Amazon truck accident in Washington, Trucking Injury Law Group is here for you.

We have dedicated our professional careers to standing up for those who deserve help. We don’t back down when facing off against big companies like Amazon, and we’re ready to put the full force of our legal expertise behind you and your case.

Because we believe that financial resources should never be a barrier to accessing essential legal information, we proudly offer completely free case evaluations to injury victims and their families. And in many situations, we are able to take cases on a contingency fee (no win, no fee) basis.

Don’t wait to take action—every state limits the amount of time you have to file a truck accident claim. Contact us today so that we can get started on your case before the time limit runs out.