Delivery vans are everywhere in New York City — and so are the crashes they cause. If you were hurt by an Amazon delivery driver, a UPS truck, FedEx van, or another last-mile delivery vehicle, the company whose logo is on the van may not be the company that’s actually liable for your injuries. Sorting that out quickly is often the difference between a fair settlement and a claim that stalls against an inadequate insurance policy.
Why Delivery Truck Accidents Are Different
Most personal injury cases involve a single driver and a single insurance policy. Delivery accident cases are rarely that simple. Amazon, for example, relies heavily on independent contractors — called Delivery Service Partners — to make deliveries in Amazon-branded vans. These contractors typically carry liability coverage around $1 million, which can be thin when injuries are serious. UPS, by contrast, employs its drivers directly and generally carries closer to $5 million in coverage, because UPS itself bears the liability.
That structural difference means two nearly identical crashes — one involving an Amazon contractor, one involving a UPS driver — can lead to very different outcomes for the injured person, depending on how the case is built and who is named.
Who Can Be Held Liable
- The individual driver
- The delivery contractor or subcontracting company that employs the driver
- In some cases, the parent company (Amazon, FedEx, etc.), depending on the degree of control it exercised over the driver and vehicle
- A separate commercial auto policy covering the vehicle itself
Identifying every available source of coverage — not just the most obvious one — is often what determines whether a claim is fully compensated or runs into a policy limit.
What to Do After a Delivery Vehicle Accident
- Get medical attention, even if injuries seem minor at first.
- Report the accident and get a police report.
- Photograph the vehicle, including any branding, license plate, and USDOT number if visible.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
- Contact a lawyer promptly — delivery company records (like GPS and driver logs) are often only retained for a limited time.
How We Can Help
Our firm has handled claims involving delivery companies and understands how these contractor arrangements affect liability and available insurance coverage. We investigate who actually employed the driver, what coverage applies, and whether the parent company shares responsibility — so your claim is built against every party who may be liable, not just the name on the van.
If you or a family member has been injured in a crash involving an Amazon, UPS, FedEx, or other delivery vehicle in New York City, contact us for a free consultation.
Related: What Amazon’s NYC Delivery Fight Reveals About Liability Insurance Gaps — our take, featured in Bloomberg, on how proposed delivery worker legislation could reshape insurance coverage industry-wide.