Hurt in a Crash With an Amazon Delivery Truck? You Don't Have to Sort It Out Alone

Amazon Truck Accidents in Miami Gardens: What Injured Families Should Know

If an Amazon delivery truck or van crashed into you or someone you love in Miami Gardens, you may have a claim. More than one party may share responsibility. Florida also sets firm deadlines. Knowing the basics early can help protect your options.

What an Amazon Truck Crash in Miami Gardens Can Look Like

Delivery vans and box trucks share the roads with everyone in Miami Gardens and North Miami-Dade. Many of them drive busy commercial streets when packages go out. Traffic around Hard Rock Stadium on game day tests anyone’s patience. Delivery vehicles get stuck in it too.

Crashes like these often follow a few familiar patterns:

• A delivery van rear-ends a car that stops short.
• A box truck changes lanes near a residential street and clips a vehicle beside it.
• A van backing up in a parking area hits a pedestrian or a parked car.
• An intersection collision happens when a driver rushes to finish a route.

The people hurt are not always the delivery driver. Drivers in other cars, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and nearby workers can all be hurt. Even a crash you remember clearly deserves a careful review. Records that prove what happened can be easy to lose.

Who Can Be Responsible After an Amazon Delivery Crash?

Several parties may be responsible. It depends on the facts.

Many Amazon packages are delivered by independent delivery companies. These are often called delivery service partners. Amazon employees do not always make the deliveries. Responsibility may reach:

• The driver
• The company that employs or contracts the driver
• The owner of the vehicle

Federal law shows why the paperwork matters. It lets regulators require a motor carrier to follow certain rules. A motor carrier is a company that moves goods by road.

Under federal law, the Secretary of Transportation may require a motor carrier that uses motor vehicles it does not own, under an arrangement with another party, to make that arrangement in writing, carry a copy of it in each vehicle, and obtain liability and cargo insurance on those vehicles. The Secretary may also require the carrier to have control of and be responsible for operating those vehicles in compliance with safety requirements and other applicable law, as if it owned them (49 U.S.C. § 14102). These contracts can show who controlled the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Courts also look closely at companies that choose who drives.

More than one insurance policy may apply. These can include the policy on the vehicle and the policy of the company. Early investigation helps sort out which coverage applies and who is responsible.

Why Delivery Truck Crashes Often Cause Serious Injuries

A delivery van or box truck is heavy. A crash can cause severe harm, even at moderate speeds. Serious injuries in these crashes can include:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Amputations
• Severe burns
• Serious back and neck injuries

The firm handles each of these injury types as part of its personal injury practice.

Some injuries are not obvious at the scene. A person may feel shaken but fine. Symptoms can appear hours or days later.

Follow your doctors’ care plan. Keep every appointment. Tell your doctor about every symptom you notice. Your medical care comes first.

Florida Deadlines and Fault Rules to Know Now

For most negligence claims from accidents after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows two years to file a lawsuit (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a)). Negligence means failing to act with reasonable care.

Other deadlines can apply, depending on the claim and the parties. Deadlines apply, so speak with a lawyer soon. A lawyer can help protect your claim and the evidence.

Florida also uses a modified comparative fault rule. Comparative fault means each person’s share of blame is measured. Under this rule, in a negligence action to which this section applies, a person found more than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages (Fla. Stat. § 768.81). This rule does not apply to medical negligence claims under chapter 766.

When fault is split among several parties, Florida does not make each one pay the whole amount. Instead, the court enters judgment against each liable party. In a medical malpractice action, if an apportionment of damages is attributed to a teaching hospital as defined in s. 408.07, the court enters judgment against the teaching hospital on the basis of its percentage of fault (§ 768.81). That is why this guide starts with Florida law for a Miami Gardens crash.

Evidence That Can Disappear After a Delivery Truck Crash

Proof of what happened can disappear quickly after a crash. Knowing what exists helps you ask for it early. Key records may include:

• Dashcam and vehicle camera footage
• GPS and telematics data (vehicle location and performance data sent electronically)
• Driver hours and delivery logs
• Maintenance records
• Video from nearby businesses or traffic cameras

Federal rules require motor carriers to make drivers record their duty status for each 24-hour period (49 C.F.R. § 395.8). Duty status means whether a driver is working, driving, resting, or off duty.

The same rule bars false reports about duty status. The same rule also bars false reports about a driver’s duty status (49 C.F.R. § 395.8(e)(1)). These logs can show how long a driver had been working.

Florida’s crash report is another key record. A Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form, must be submitted within 10 days after the investigation of a crash. The report lists the parties, their vehicles, and their insurance companies.

Records are not kept forever. Timing matters. Keep these items:

• Photos of the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries
• The crash report number
• Medical bills, receipts, and records
• A simple written timeline of events
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses

Avoid posting about the crash on social media. Anything you post can be used to question your account.

When a Family Loses a Loved One in an Amazon Truck Crash

Losing a parent, spouse, or child in a crash is a loss no paperwork can measure.

Florida law allows a wrongful death claim. This applies when another person’s wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract or warranty causes a death, and the event would have entitled the injured person to maintain an action and recover damages if death had not ensued (Fla. Stat. § 768.19). The claim is brought by the personal representative. This is the person appointed to handle the deceased person’s estate. The claim is brought for the benefit of the survivors and the estate (§ 768.20).

Florida’s damages rules name the losses a family may pursue:

• A surviving spouse may recover for loss of companionship and protection.
• A surviving spouse may also recover for mental pain and suffering.
• Minor children may recover for lost parental companionship, instruction, and guidance.
• Survivors may also recover lost support and services.
• They may recover medical or funeral expenses they paid (§ 768.21).

Families should focus on their own needs first. Reach out when you are ready. Take the time you need.

How Miami Gardens Families Can Start Their Claim

A first step is a free, confidential consultation. In that conversation, a lawyer reviews the crash facts, the injuries, and the insurance information you already have. Bring the crash report number, photos, and any bills or letters from insurers.

CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery. The first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.

Igor Hernandez is the responsible lawyer for this page. He is one of the firm’s lawyers and is admitted to The Florida Bar. CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm. It serves clients throughout Florida, including Miami Gardens.

Talk With Our Team About Your Miami Gardens Crash

If a delivery van or box truck crash has left you or someone you love facing hospital bills and insurance calls, our team can help. We can help you learn whether you may have a claim. Deadlines apply. Reach out to CHG Personal Injury Lawyers now through our contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions