Slip & Fall Injuries in Food Delivery Workers: What to Know

For millions of people, delivery services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart are a regular part of their lives. Not only do these services make it convenient to get groceries and food from local restaurants delivered, they give people a chance to earn extra cash by making these deliveries. But while working for these types of services can have perks like being able to choose your own schedule, the downside is that these workers are classified as independent contractors, not employees, which can cause complications for delivery persons if they’re injured while working. 

In traditional employment arrangements, a worker who is injured on the job would be entitled to workers compensation benefits to cover things like their medical bills and lost wages. But under Michian law, when someone is working as an independent contractor, they are not able to get those workers compensation benefits. While some of these food/grocery delivery companies offer auto insurance options to cover drivers if they get into a car accident while actively making a delivery, delivery workers may find themselves on their own to handle injuries from other types of accidents they might experience while working, such as slip and falls. It’s important to note that some delivery companies offer injury protection insurance to their shoppers, but not all of them do. Even if a company does offer injury protection insurance, it’s not the same thing as workers compensation. 

Fall Risks for Grocery Delivery Workers

Slip and fall accidents are very common in grocery stores, both for shoppers and store employees. Grocery stores are typically seen as being relatively safe places, but they’re often full of slip and trip hazards, including:

• Slippery floors, caused by snow or rain being tracked inside or spills from broken/leaking bottles
• Floor mats that are bunched up
• Damaged or uneven pavement in parking lots
• Poor lighting that makes it hard to see patches of ice in parking lots or on sidewalks
• Boxes and palettes left in store aisles and walkways

Not only is there the potential risk of slipping or tripping in a grocery store, there’s the chance of slipping or tripping while on a customer’s property. For example, a delivery person might trip over something like a hose that has been left out in a customer’s yard. Or they might trip on a piece of broken cement on a customer’s property that they didn’t see in the dark. 

Legal Options for Injured Delivery Workers

If you were injured in a slip/trip and fall while working for a food delivery service, don’t hesitate to contact a slip and fall lawyer for help. Even though you may not be eligible for workers compensation benefits, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have other options to recover losses like medical bills. For example, a lawsuit could be filed against a store or a customer if their negligence caused a fall. Or if a fall occurred while making a delivery in an apartment complex, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the landlord or property manager if the fall occurred in a common area they were responsible for maintaining. Working with a lawyer will help you make sure the correct parties are held accountable and that you get the compensation you need. 

Contact a Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer

Scott Goodwin Law is experienced in handling a wide range of personal injury cases in the state of Michigan, including slips, trips, and falls. If you’ve been injured, contact us today to schedule a free consultation and find out how we can help you.

Image: NRD / Unsplash