Key Points:
- The Rise of Dog Bites Involving Delivery Drivers: The increase in online shopping and food delivery services has led to delivery drivers coming into contact with dogs more frequently. This has resulted in an increase in dog bites and attacks.
- Legal Advantage of Delivery Drivers in Dog Bite Cases: Because you are legally on the property to fulfill your job duties, this can strengthen your legal position in the event of a dog bite or attack.
- Financial Compensation: In addition to workers’ compensation, delivery drivers who are injured in a dog attack while on the job may also be able to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. This may be possible if the dog owner was negligent or careless in managing their dog or keeping the area safe.
- Evidence and Insurance Advantages: As a delivery driver, you may be able to prove your case using video evidence from surveillance and doorbell cameras, to identify the dog owner based on the delivery instructions and make a claim through the residential homeowner’s insurance.
You may know that there has been an increase in dog bites involving delivery drivers in Georgia. This is likely because of the rise of online shopping and food delivery services, which means that more drivers are interacting with dogs on their routes.
From large parcel couriers like Amazon, Fed Ex, or UPS to local food delivery and postal workers, delivery persons like you are often required to navigate unfamiliar properties with pets. Thus, you are at an increased risk of being bitten or attacked by a dog.
If a dog bite or attack has happened to you, you may have the right to make a claim against a negligent or careless dog owner. And, if so, there certain evidence and legal advantages may be available that can be important when it comes to proving your case or claim for compensation.
The Legal Advantage: Why Georgia Delivery Drivers May have a Claim
Simply being by a dog while delivering a package doesn’t automatically guarantee a solid legal case. However, a delivery driver who has been dispatched to a specific property may have certain legal advantages compared to a neighbor or stranger from the public.
Delivery Drivers Are Invited To Properties
When a dog owner orders a product online, he or she implicitly invites the delivery company’s employee or contractor onto their property to complete the delivery. As a result, in Georgia, delivery driver are normally classified as “business invitees.” This designation means that, even if a dog attack occurs on the dog owner’s private property, the homeowner must take reasonable steps to keep the area safe and free of hazards, such as unrestrained or vicious dogs.
Delivery Drivers Are Invited to Do Their Job
As a delivery driver, you have been invited onto a property to deliver a product or service and are not considered a trespasser. This is different from a typical solicitors, door-to-door sales person, neighbors, or social guest. The “invitee status” of a delivery worker can be beneficial when pursuing a potential dog bite claim.
Helpful Evidence in Dog Bite and Dog Attacks involving Delivery Drivers
Dog attacks on delivery workers often occur near the front door or front yard or close to the dog owner’s property. This can mean certain evidence exists that can be helpful when making a legal claim related to a dog bite.
Video Evidence – there is a chance that a doorbell camera may have recorded the attack. With the growing popularity of such devices, especially among homeowners receiving frequent deliveries, the likelihood of capturing such incidents has increased. If an attack is documented on video, it can serve as compelling evidence in support of a dog bite claim.. A good dog bite lawyer will work to obtain the video recording even if that video footage is in the hands of the dog owner.
Location and Proving Dog Ownership – delivery drivers are often attacked at the front of homes, which helps identify the property and thus, the dog’s owner.
Insurance – Although there are no guarantees that a dog owner is insured, if you are delivering to a private residential home, there is a higher chance that the owner has homeowner’s insurance which may provide compensation for medical bills and pain and suffering.
