The demands on delivery drivers in Illinois can be significant, especially during the holiday season. The combination of high volumes of packages to be delivered, bad traffic and potential car or weather problems, can interfere with these drivers’ best efforts to do their job. When unfortunate car accidents happen, delivery drivers rely on workers’ compensation to provide them with the help they need.
All drivers are at risk of a car accident
Whenever Illinois drivers are on the road, they are subject to the risk of a car accident. Data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that, in 2012, more than 60,000 people were injured in car accidents in Illinois. Furthermore, nearly 900 people were killed in these tragic accidents. Speeding, distracted driving and drowsiness are among the leading causes of the high rate of car accidents in Illinois.
Delivery drivers are particularly exposed
Given the amount of time delivery drivers necessarily spend on the road relative to others who do not drive for a living, their injury risks are correspondingly magnified. With shift times that can extend beyond eight hours, according to multiple employment websites, delivery drivers are exposed to reckless, negligent or distracted drivers throughout the day.
The time-sensitive nature of delivery jobs, particularly during the holidays, adds another dimension of injury risk to delivery drivers. In other words, demands for punctual delivery may compel these drivers to persist through poor weather or traffic conditions that other drivers under less pressure would avoid.
Common injuries resulting from car accidents
Car accidents involving delivery drivers may result in a range of damages, from property damage to personal injury. The range of possible personal injuries that may result from a car accident is diverse. Even relatively minor crashes could produce head injuries, such as concussions, as well as nerve damage. More serious crashes could lead to broken bones, paralysis or death.
Workers’ compensation benefits are available
Illinois state law provides a mechanism for injured workers to receive compensation for damages owing to a work-related injury. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Diseases Act entitles Illinois workers, such as delivery drivers, to these benefits, so long as they can prove that the injury in question arose out of the course of employment. For example, a delivery driver who suffered an incapacitating injury while on route to a delivery would be eligible to receive funds to cover lost wages and medical costs.
Delivery drivers in Illinois who have been involved in a car accident may wish to consult with a workers’ compensation attorney.