Top 6 Ways Amazon Delivery Drivers Are Injured on the Job

How Amazon Delivery Drivers Get Seriously Hurt On & Off the Roads

Delivery driving for Amazon is one of the most dangerous jobs in the courier industry, according to the latest findings. In fact, more Amazon delivery drivers are getting hurt on the job more than ever before and:

• There has been a ~38% spike in Amazon delivery driver injuries since 2020.
• About 1 in 5 Amazon delivery drivers were hurt while working last year.

Here’s a closer look at the accidents that are hurting Amazon drivers, how those happen, and what types of injuries they are causing.

Most Common Amazon Delivery Driver Accidents & Injuries

Behind the wheel and outside of delivery vehicles, Amazon drivers are vulnerable to various accidents and injuries — and Amazon’s quotas and demands are compounding those risks.

Specifically, Amazon has reportedly set astonishingly high quotas and “unrelenting” demands, according to a recent report. And that’s led to:

• Amazon delivery drivers working “too fast”
• These drivers risking “injury as they rush to hit delivery targets”
• A real “human toll”
• “Both dangerous driving and driver injuries”

Exposing more about Amazon driver accidents and injuries, the following takes a deep dive into the most common trauma these workers suffer and how each injury can be tied to Amazon’s demands, quotas, and requirements.

Amazon Accident #1: Trips, Slips & Falls

Falls top the list of accidents for Amazon delivery drivers. In fact, Colorado’s largest provider of workers’ compensation coverage, Pinnacol Assurance, reports more claims for Amazon driver falling accidents than for any other injury-causing event.

These falls, which include slip and falls, as well as trip and falls, can result in injuries like (but not limited to):

• Concussions and more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Whiplash and more severe neck injuries
• Herniated discs and other back injuries
• Knee dislocations and sprains
• Bone fractures

In many cases, Amazon delivery drivers fall and get hurt because they are in a massive hurry, and they only have minutes to get from Point A to Point B to drop off the next package(s).

As they do that, the risks of accidents and injuries surge whenever Amazon delivery drivers encounter hazards like (but not limited to):

• Uneven or cracked sidewalks
• Uncovered manholes
• Slippery walkways, especially after snow or storms
• Potholes, clutter, or debris littering driveways
• Broken stairs or missing stairway railings
• Faulty security gates

Amazon Accident #2: Animal Attacks

Like mail carriers, Amazon delivery drivers often come across animals and pets as they’re dropping off packages. With that, the risks of dog bites, maulings, and canine attacks also skyrocket.

Recognizing this risk, Amazon has a policy that gives delivery drivers the discretion to skip deliveries when they encounter threatening critters or menacing-looking dogs. That does not necessarily eliminate the risk of animal attacks, however, because:

• Many delivery drivers don’t see dogs until they’ve already exited their vehicle, and it’s too late to avoid an attack.
  
  
• The Amazon Key program, which lets drivers leave packages in garages, may make it impossible for drivers to notice any dogs until the garage doors are already open and, again, it’s too late to avoid an attack.

With animal attacks and dog bites, Amazon delivery drivers can suffer other injuries too, like (but not limited to):

• Amputation
• Severe lacerations
• Serious infections
• Nerve damage and/or paralysis
• Scarring and disfigurement

Amazon Accident #3: Strains

Muscle strains are another form of trauma that Amazon delivery drivers often sustain, and these strains tend to arise as:

• Repetitive stress injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome
• Shoulder strains, like rotator cuff injuries
• Back strains and sprains, including sciatica and spinal compression
• Knee strains, like MCL injuries
• Severe ankle strains

While some of these injuries can occur instantly, others develop with time, after continued stress and strain on the body. That strain can come from having to lift and move boxes, as well as from sitting for extended periods in a vehicle.

Amazon Accident #4: Motor Vehicle Accidents

As a top cause of injury and death in the U.S., motor vehicle wrecks also top the list of injury-causing events for Amazon delivery drivers. In many cases, these collisions result from:

• Amazon drivers rushing to work as fast as possible: Preposterous quotas can weigh heavily on Amazon delivery drivers, creating pressure to break traffic laws and cut corners to meet their targets. That pressure usually comes from the delivery service partners (DSPs) contracted by Amazon and employing the delivery drivers. It’s crucial to note that Amazon generally classifies delivery drivers as independent contractors, even though the company’s practices, policies, and driver oversight arguably treat these workers as employees.
  
  
• Other roadway travelers: Passenger vehicle drivers, other commercial drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists share the roads with Amazon delivery drivers and, in doing so, can end up violating traffic laws and causing crashes. That’s more likely to happen with negligence like distracted driving, fatigued driving, and drunk driving.

When Amazon delivery truck crashes occur, investigating the wreck will be essential to determining fault and proving when (or how) negligence may have been involved.

Amazon Accident #5: Striking an Object

Inanimate objects can strike, hit, or fall on Amazon delivery drivers, also causing serious, if not life-threatening, injuries. With these striking accidents, Amazon delivery drivers can suffer all sorts of injuries as they encounter various objects, including (but not limited to):

• Power lines
• Fence posts
• Garage doors
• Shingles or gutters
• Tree branches and other foliage
• Shifting or falling boxes in delivery trucks, at loading docks, and/or in warehouses

While Amazon delivery drivers can take several steps to limit their risk of being hurt in a striking accident, these injury-causing events can still occur even if drivers are being very careful and following all necessary safety precautions.

That is particularly true when drivers make deliveries to poorly maintained properties, regardless of whether those are residential, public, or commercial premises.

Amazon Accident #6: Violent Attacks

Brutality and physical assaults are other common causes of Amazon driver accidents and injuries. And that violence can take various forms, including (but not limited to):

• Biting
• Hitting, slapping, punching, or beating drivers
• Robbing or carjacking Amazon delivery drivers
• Shooting or stabbing delivery drivers

While these violent attacks can cause serious physical trauma, they can also leave behind lasting psychological damage, resulting in Amazon delivery drivers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and/or other psychological injuries.

What to Do After an Amazon Delivery Driver Accident & Injury

Seeing a doctor and getting medical attention should be Amazon drivers’ first steps after being hurt on the job. That’s incredibly critical because:

• Prompt treatments can help victims avoid further injury.
• Seeing a doctor can mean proper diagnoses for and documentation of the physical harm drivers have suffered.

Beyond that, talking to an Amazon delivery driver accident lawyer is also prudent. It can help victims understand a potential claim better, so they can take the right steps to seek financial recovery moving forward.