The festive season is no doubt the busiest time of year for delivery drivers, and this year they are busier than ever. With everyone staying at home, and online shopping increasing, the extra work may mean that delivery drivers have more work accidents.
The Christmas rush means that there will be more delivery drivers on roads. There are many work accidents that delivery drivers can face, from road traffic accidents to manual handling accidents, and even accidents on customer’s property.
Manual Handling Accidents
One of the biggest causes of work accidents to delivery drivers is manual handling accidents. They often happen due to inadequate or incorrect training. They could also happen due to vans being overloaded.
Employers must ensure that all their staff have the correct training to do manual handling work. If you have had inadequate or incorrect training, your employer may be at fault for your accident. The most common injuries from manual handling accidents are back injuries, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
Your employer must follow the rules set out in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. This reduces the chances of accidents happening and is designed to protect staff.
Road Traffic Accidents
Having a road traffic accident at any time is bad but having one whilst you are working is even worse. The main cause of road traffic accidents is careless driving. If you have a road traffic accident whilst at work, you must make sure you report the accident to your employer as well as getting the details of the other driver and, if necessary, contacting the police.
Work Accidents whilst delivering
Another work accident that a delivery driver may have is an accident on the property where they are delivering. This could be a slip, trip or fall, a manual handling accident, or even a dog bite. There are various people who may be at fault if you have an accident on the property of the place you are delivering to.
If it is a business, then it is the business owner who may be at fault. This is especially true if you tripped on uneven paving. In this case, the blame could also fall with the local council, so it is important to take pictures of the defect.
If you are injured at someone’s house, and the person you are making the delivery to owns their property, it is the homeowner who may be at fault. There are certain specifics depending on the accident if it may be the homeowner who is at fault. These include insurance and ability to pay.
It is always important to report the accident to your employer. This is also true if you had the accident whilst you were out doing your deliveries.
How We Can Help
Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with personal injury claims. This includes accidents at work. So contact us today by filling in our contact form, or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable advisors.