Last Mile Truck Driver Accident Lawyer

There is no doubt that last-mile delivery service is becoming increasingly common. More people than ever before are ordering goods online to be delivered to their homes. To stay ahead of the competition, companies like Amazon are growing their regional presence. Offering faster, same-day service requires putting more big trucks on the road to meet the demand. It also increases the danger of the general public being involved in last-mile truck accidents.

If you have been injured by a last-mile truck driver, give Mike Morse Law Firm a call. Our experienced team of attorneys has helped clients win over $1.5 billion in damages. We understand the pain and suffering you are going through. Call us today at (855) MIKE-WINS. We are available 24/7 for a free consultation.

What is Last-Mile Delivery?

When you buy a product online, it may show up at your door in a few days. In some instances, same-day deliveries are possible. This depends on how close you live to a fulfillment center. On average, one- or two-day deliveries are quite common across the country. This is all possible thanks to our country’s vast supply chain infrastructure.

There are 3 steps these products go through to make it to our homes: first mile, middle mile, and last mile. 

First mile

The first mile is when goods are picked up from the manufacturer to begin their journey.

Middle mile

The middle mile is mainly for goods shipped internationally. These must travel through customs and ports to be stored in hubs before being transported inland. From these stations, the goods are taken to a warehouse before being placed onto delivery vehicles.

Last mile

The last mile is the most crucial step. Most of the time, when you order a product, it is already sitting in a fulfillment center warehouse and ready to be delivered to you. These centers are massive and can be over 800,000 square feet. They hold millions of products and are designed to help cut down on shipping time. 

Fulfillment centers also help companies control the customer experience. The odds of your package suffering damage increase the longer it travels. If it is boxed and shipped regionally, it helps Amazon keep its promise of 2-day shipping and cuts down on returns. Packages shipped from a closer facility are less likely to be damaged.

The Amazon Effect

According to a report from Omnitracs, last-mile deliveries grew 21 percent from 2019 to 2020. While many businesses were feeling the hurt during the pandemic, consumers spent more money online. This growth is expected to continue, projected to expand by around $58.91 billion between 2021 and 2025. Of course, Amazon leads the online revolution.

In 2020, Amazon’s overall sales jumped 26 percent to $75.5 billion as more users decided to spend their money online. The e-commerce giant was forced to halt non-essential deliveries so they could hire 175,000 workers to meet the demand. 

Amazon was not the only company seeing increased online sales during the pandemic. Target reported a boost of 275 percent. Best Buy was also in the mix, domestic online sales jumping 250 percent higher.

While Amazon owns 25 percent of the nation’s online market, other companies are not going to sit idly by. Walmart, for one, announced its own Express Delivery service, revamped its website, and hired 200,000 employees to fill the gap. 

As demand continues to rise for more digital-purchased goods, so do the number of drivers needed to haul them. You might think most of the drivers hired to make last-mile deliveries are highly trained, but that is not always the case. 

Many do not have a CDL license. They drive Class-6 trucks, which are lighter box trucks and delivery vans. In most cases, all that is needed to qualify is a driver’s license and a clean background check.

Companies Put Profits and Speed Over Safety

As the e-commerce war heats up, companies continue to propose new ways of delivering goods to customers’ homes. As you can see in the two examples below, some companies are prioritizing profit and speed over road safety and training. 

Walmart attempted a new program that would use current store employees to make home deliveries. They would do this using their own cars and insurance. Not many workers signed up, so Walmart attempted to entice them with free TVs and iPads. 50 of the 150 store employees at the pilot location signed up, but few had experience as a delivery driver. Most Walmart employees balked at the lack of pay and the fact that these deliveries would take place after their normal shift. 

Buzzfeed co-authored a report that revealed Amazon scrapped a driver training program they were planning to unveil. The goal of the program was to make Amazon’s delivery service the safest in the world. It would put all drivers through a 5-day course teaching them defensive driving techniques. The announcement came after a series of fatal accidents involving Amazon delivery trucks and vans. The reason Amazon gave for pulling this driver training program is that it created a ‘bottleneck’ in their delivery system. Ignoring the need for safe drivers for the sake of speed and profit only adds to the danger already present on our roadways. 

If you have been injured in an accident by a negligent last-mile truck driver, call Mike Morse Law Firm today. We do not intend to allow delivery companies to get away with putting their profits ahead of your right to drive on safe roads. 

What to Do After a Last-Mile Truck Driver Accident

The steps you take after you have been involved in an accident can help you win your fight for compensation. Here are several things you should do if you are able.

Call 911

Injuries after an accident can be sneaky at times. Shock and adrenaline may mask the typical symptoms you would expect to be feeling. You may feel fine at the moment and will not realize you are hurt until several days later. This is why you should call 911 and seek medical treatment right away.

Get contact information

One way of helping your case is to record the contact information of any witnesses in the area. They can be called later for their testimony of what happened.

Take pictures

Photos are going to be another big part of your case. The other party can spin the story any way they want. If you have photo evidence, it is harder for them to dispute you. Take pictures of everything. This includes the weather, road conditions, the vehicles, and the site where the accident occurred.

Refuse to speak to the other party’s insurance company

You should call your insurance company to report the accident, but you should not speak to the other party’s insurance company. They will likely call you to get your side of the story. They might be pleasant and try to sweet talk you, but they are trying to trap you into saying something they can use against you. Rather than give them that chance, decline to talk and hang up the phone.

Let Mike Morse Law Firm Help You Fight for Justice

If you have been hurt in an accident with a delivery driver, your life can be altered for years to come. You might be facing lost wages, accumulating medical bills, and pain and suffering. The worst thing you can do is take the first offer from the other party’s insurance company. It likely will not be enough to get you through until you recover.

Instead, call Mike Morse Law Firm. We have over 26 years’ worth of experience fighting big companies like Amazon. They will try their best to avoid taking responsibility, but we will not let them. Call us today at (855) MIKE-WINS for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.