Food Delivery: Your Options After an Accident

By Grant Law Office on August 31, 2020

There was once a time when take-out and delivery were limited to a select handful of restaurants in your neighborhood. If you wanted to order out, chances are you would have to either get pizza or Chinese food. These days, however, it seems that nearly every restaurant, café, and bakery can be found through food delivery apps. While this technology makes ordering food simple and convenient on those nights that you just don’t want to cook, the new influx of delivery drivers is also dangerous.

Why That Delivery May be Your Last

Delivery drivers are under intense pressure to make their deliveries as quickly as possible. Many of these food delivery apps reward fast drivers and penalize slow ones, so there is an incentive to drive and deliver as rapidly as the driver can handle. Sadly, that means that many drivers may feel the need to speed, run red lights, and make dangerous hairpin turns. This can lead to accidents and collisions, often involving innocent pedestrians.

After becoming the victim of a delivery driver accident, you may be inclined to seek compensation from the at-fault driver and their company. After all, that is the point of filing a claim, and you are well within your right to do so. But, depending on the company in question, your options may be limited.

UberEats

UberEats, which is run by the rideshare company, Uber, has different levels of insurance depending on the status of the driver and delivery. If the app is on, but the diver has not yet accepted a delivery, then the company offers $50,000 per individual involved in the collision, with a limit of $100,000 per accident, and only $25,000 for property damage. However, if an order has been accepted, then Uber has a $1 million policy for victims to file against.

Postmates

Postmates only covers their drivers if there is an active delivery being picked up or dropped off. If the driver is waiting for an order to come through, then they are not covered by Postmates, and instead must rely on their personal insurance policy. However, if the driver is on their way to get an order or is dropping the order off, then Postmates’s insurance policy will cover them for up to $1 million per accident.

DoorDash

DoorDash is incredibly similar to Postmates. If a DoorDash driver is waiting for a delivery order, then they have to use their personal insurance policy if they cause an accident. However, if they are actively picking a delivery up or dropping one off, then they are covered for up to $1 million.

Instacart

This may be surprising to you, but Instacart does not have an insurance policy if one of their drivers causes a car accident. If you are struck by an Instacart delivery driver, then you will have to file a claim against the driver’s personal insurance. If the driver does not have insurance or does not have an extensive enough policy, then you may have to file a claim with your own insurance provider if you have an underinsured or uninsured motorist policy.

Going up against a large food delivery company is not easy. Companies have a bottom line to think about and will often put their own profits over what is right. With an army of lawyers, they’re not likely to give you the compensation you need easily. That is why you should hire a dedicated and experienced Atlanta car accident attorney. The husband and wife team at the Grant Law Offices are dedicated to helping those injured through negligence. If a negligent delivery driver caused your injuries, call our firm at (404) 995-3955. We offer some of the best legal aid in Georgia.