Being a pizza delivery driver for Domino’s or Papa John’s might not be the pinnacle of your career aspirations. However, many people find that working food delivery jobs allows them adequate time to pursue a college education. It’s also a good choice for a moonlighting job because pizza delivery drivers can often choose the hours they are available to work.
But what happens if you get injured while on the job, e.g., you get T-boned at an intersection while delivering pizzas here in Wilmington? Are you entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits while you recuperate from your injuries?
It depends on your employment status
Most pizza delivery drivers are considered to be employees of the company for which they drive. This is especially true for large corporations like the two referenced above. As such, your accident and subsequent injuries should be covered under the auspices of the company’s workers’ comp. policy.
However, restaurant delivery service companies like DoorDash, Waitr, and Grubhub typically considered their drivers to be independent contractors who are not covered by workers’ compensation benefits.
Right to pursue claim affected by insurance status?
There may also be some other avenues of financial recovery that are available to you after getting into a wreck delivering pizza. Your status as a delivery person for a pizza chain could potentially affect the viability of an insurance claim depending upon whether you were forthcoming about your job with your auto insurance provider.
The reason for this is that auto insurance for a vehicle that is used for work purposes, i.e., to haul supplies, product or people, is usually quite a bit more expensive than a basic liability policy that covers non-employment driving. If you failed to notify your auto insurance carrier that you were using your vehicle to deliver pizzas or for other job-related duties and get into an accident, your claim could potentially be denied for this omission.
Preserving your right to benefits
If you get injured while out making a delivery for your employer, it’s vital that you do all that you can to preserve your right to seek financial and other compensation. This includes notifying your employer as soon as is practical after getting into an accident. Failing to timely notify your supervisor of your accident and injuries could limit your ability to seek benefits through workers’ comp after a collision.
At David & Associates, Attorneys at Law, PLLC, we don’t want you to feel vulnerable during an already challenging situation. As such, we work hard to help you through the process to pursue the maximum compensation available to you.
Our Wilmington workers’ compensation attorneys have built a strong reputation representing the injured in our community. When you need someone on your side, trust that we’ve got your best interests in mind every step of the way. Let us give you a voice against negligent parties and large corporations.
Call our firm at 910-208-0535 today to speak with a skilled legal professional in a free consultation.