What happens when you’re hit by a food delivery driver?

With the rise of online ordering, services like DoorDash, Caviar, and UberEats are becoming increasingly popular. Spaghetti bolognese, salmon sashimi, barbecue, beef dumplings, deep-dish pizza – any food you could imagine can be on your doorstep in a matter of minutes.

When one of these drivers gets in an accident, it’s different from just getting hit by another passenger vehicle. If you are driving and are in a car accident with a commercial delivery driver, you will be dealing with not only the driver, but the company behind them. Here’s some information on New York’s most popular ordering apps’ occupational accident policies.

DoorDash and Caviar

Both DoorDash and Caviar couriers automatically receive coverage under DoorDash’s policy. It covers:

• Medical expenses up to $1,000,000 with no deductible
• Disability coverage up to $500 a week
• Survivor payments up to $150,000

It does not cover:

• Damage to bikes or cars from an accident during a delivery

UberEats

Uber maintains that the driver’s personal insurance should cover an accident first. The policy provided by UberEats covers:

• Commercial auto liability up to $1,000,000 with a $1,000 deductible
• Commercial auto liability coverage for accidents between deliveries but still clocked in up to $50,000 for injury, $25,000 for property damage and up to $100,000 total

As with any accident, you should always seek medical attention first and call the police. Especially when you are dealing with someone driving for employment, like someone who delivers food, you need to document everything. The driver’s company and their commercial insurance don’t want to pay you the full amount. Instead, they will likely try to get you to settle quickly, before understanding the full extent of the accident.

You should always be careful of signing anything when you are in an accident with a delivery driver. Talk with an attorney who has the experience to help you get the compensation you need.