If you drive for a living, your vehicle serves as your workspace. If you experience an injury while driving or during delivery, you can seek coverage through your employer’s workers’ compensation plan.
Review the common risks for delivery drivers and take steps to protect yourself from hazards.
Overexertion injuries
This category represented 41% of nonfatalwork-related delivery driver injuriesin data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly three-quarters of overexertion injuries happen when lifting or lower packages, boxes or containers.
Slip-and-fall incidents
Falls on the job can also be disabling for delivery drivers. In the BLS study, 23% of work-related accidents for drivers resulted from slipping, tripping or falling. Obstacles caused the person’s fall in most cases, with just a few accidents related to sleet, snow or ice on the ground.
Contact with equipment or object
In about 17% of workplace injuries to delivery drivers, the person’s injury stems from impact with an object. Approximately a third of these cases are pedestrian injuries in which another vehicle hits the driver when he or she is on foot.
Motor vehicle accidents
Whether you deliver pizza, Amazon packages, or heavy cargo, you have a risk of auto accident injury on the job. According to the federal data, 14% of nonfatal delivery driver accidents at work occurred in motor vehicle collisions.
With these statistics in mind, you can prevent dangerous incidents at work. If you do suffer an injury while driving as part of your job, you can file a claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance plan through the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Delivery drivers keep businesses and communities running, but the job comes with serious risks. If you’ve been injured while driving or making deliveries, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under Florida law. The attorneys at Smith, Feddeler & Smith, P.A. can help you understand your rights and pursue the benefits you deserve. Contact us today at (863) 355-5648 to discuss your claim.
