Online shopping is a wonderful thing for many of us. We often get one-day shipping, express delivery, and nearly instant gratification, all without leaving our homes. That’s all great for us, but major companies like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx require and demand tight delivery windows from their drivers, pushing them to meet aggressive schedules without regard to weather, road conditions, traffic, or driver fatigue. While this system may be convenient, it can also create dangerous situations for New York drivers and lead to catastrophic truck accidents.
The Reality of High-Pressure Delivery Environments
Commercial drivers are expected to complete dozens or even hundreds of deliveries in a single shift. Their routes end up timed down to the minute, which means delays due to traffic, weather, or customer issues can quickly put drivers behind. This increases the pressure they face to make their deliveries on time, which often leads to:
- Speeding through neighborhoods or streets
- Ignoring traffic signals
- Driving while distracted
- Fatigued driving
- Skipping required rest periods
- Parking illegally or dangerously
It doesn’t matter how experienced the driver is. This kind of pressure will cause any driver to make risky choices and endanger pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers.
How Deadline Pressure Leads to Negligence
When a company pressures a driver to meet unrealistic deadlines, the driver must choose between meeting quotas and following the law. This creates the perfect environment for negligent behavior. Some common examples of this negligence include:
- Rear-end collisions due to tailgating or abrupt stops
- Sideswipes from rushed late changes
- Running red lights and stop signs to stay on schedule
- Failure to yield to pedestrians
In New York, traffic is heavy, and sidewalks are crowded. These behaviors can have catastrophic consequences, especially for those who are not in a massive vehicle like a delivery truck.
Who Is Responsible When Deadlines Lead to Injury?
If a commercial driver is in an accident due to deadline pressure, liability may extend to entities other than the driver. Employers may be held responsible for their employees’ actions during work duties under the legal principle of vicarious liability.
In some situations, the company itself can be directly negligent for:
- Inadequate driver training
- Unreasonable delivery quotas
- Failure to monitor or discipline unsafe methods
- Poor vehicle maintenance
If you or your loved one has suffered an injury in an accident involving a delivery truck, not only is it important to discover what the driver did, but also why.
Why You Need Legal Help
Commercial truck accidents typically require immediate preservation of evidence, such as GPS data, routes taken, and corporate policies, before it’s destroyed. A qualified attorney can uncover whether unsafe work expectations caused the accident and hold all responsible parties accountable. For over 45 years, Jaroslawicz & Jaros, PLLC, has succeeded in doing this. Our attorneys have deep experience with commercial vehicle accidents, including those caused by unreasonable delivery schedules and negligent corporate policies. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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