Amazon drivers bitten by dogs can often hold dog owners accountable for their medical bills and their time lost at their jobs. In some cases, Amazon itself can be forced to support its injured employees.
Melrose Law of Asheville stands by drivers and helps them earn support that lasts until they are fully healed and able to return to their delivery routes.
We offer all delivery drivers in the Asheville Area a free, no-obligation consultation after a frightening dog attack. It’s time to focus on healing while allowing us to fight on your behalf.
Will I Need a Lawyer for a Dog Bite Case That Occurred On My Delivery Route?
If your injuries are only minor, such as just minor scratches or bruising, you may not need the help of an attorney for your case. But when injuries are more serious, like a fractured ankle bone or a deep puncture wound, a lawyer may be an important advantage and protection. The medical costs will be higher, and that only makes the fight over who will be responsible for these bills that much harder.
You may need a lawyer to handle a case involving a dog owner’s unhelpful homeowners insurance. You could require a lawyer’s assistance in getting the most out of North Carolina’s Workers’ Compensation. In some cases, your lawyer will be taking on Amazon on your behalf to get fair support.
Your Asheville delivery driver dog bite attorney would fully investigate the incident and the dog owner’s record, and the dog’s past history. Your lawyer would have evidence ready if you were falsely accused or your medical diagnosis was questioned. Then your lawyer goes to work on securing what you’ll need to recover. This is often much more than you could hope to win by handling your injury claim yourself.
North Carolina Dog Bite Laws Protecting Amazon Drivers
Amazon drivers can feel fairly vulnerable when asked to travel to remote addresses in and around Asheville. A dog can come from almost any direction to clamp down with its teeth. It’s no secret that some homeowners live so far out, they feel it’s safe to let their dogs to roam free.
But when residents make a purchase through Amazon, they will know that an Amazon driver will be delivering that item.
These are some of the circumstances which the dog owner would be held liable under Buncombe County ordinances and North Carolina laws:
- The dog owner would be liable if the dog is considered a “dangerous dog” and wasn’t properly restrained to protect the delivery driver. That would usually mean the dog had a prior record of biting or showing aggression. In this case, “strict liability” applies, meaning the dog owner is generally considered responsible, and proof of negligence wouldn’t be needed. However, if the dog hadn’t been involved in a previous bite incident, the dog owner could escape blame. The first bite wouldn’t be charged to the owner, but subsequent bites would usually be. But there are other reasons a pet owner would be liable.
- Pet owners who violate leash laws and other ordinances in Asheville, Buncombe County, or other mountain counties. These laws may require dogs to be restrained or confined, or leave the negligent dog owner with liability. “Strict liability” would not generally apply, so victims would need to prove the dog owner has failed in their duties to protect others from harm. A dog owner might be liable if they allow a dog to run out of a door unrestrained towards a delivery driver. A dog owner may also face blame if a backyard enclosure isn’t built securely enough to keep the dog in.
A skilled Asheville Delivery Driver Dog Bite Lawyer could help any victim prove that a dog owner had failed to show care. An attorney might also be able to find proof that a dog owner was aware of a dog’s aggressive tendencies.
What If a Dog Knocks Me Down But Doesn’t Bite Me?
Amazon drivers carrying a package to a front porch can be hurt by more than just a dog’s teeth. A pet of any size could knock down a delivery employee to the ground or down a set of stairs. A fall could easily cause victims to break bones or suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The dog may not have intended aggression, but the worker should not face the consequences alone. The dog owner could still be liable for any medical care needed and lost income from an Amazon job.
“Strict liability” may not apply in this sort of case, but a Melrose Law legal representative would help victims gather the evidence necessary to show negligence and a disregard for local ordinances.
Who Can Be Liable After a Dog Bite?
There may be more than one party that bears fault for a serious bite wound inflicted on an Amazon driver. A skilled Asheville dog bite lawyer can fully investigate what occurred and determine every party that should be involved in supporting the victim.
Identifying everyone with liability is a positive for victims. In some cases, bite victims don’t receive enough to cover all of their medical bills because an insurance policy hits its limits before the recovery is through. A skilled attorney would file claims with anyone responsible to give the victim a better chance to get all hospital bills covered and other damages.
These are just a few of the parties that might be liable for a dog attack on a delivery driver:
- Dog Owners. Homeowners or renters insurance companies will often be responsible for providing support for delivery drivers. In some cases, homeowners policies won’t cover dog bites for certain breeds. In this case, victims would need to file a lawsuit against the dog owner directly.
- Property Management Companies and Landlords. Landlords and property management companies at apartment complexes may have been aware of a dangerous pet on the grounds, but did nothing about it. A dog owner who wasn’t evicted or forced to turn over a dangerous animal might leave the owners and operators liable for a bite.
- Workers’ Compensation. In North Carolina, delivery drivers injured at work can file accident claims with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Unfortunately, not every victim receives the same amount in a weekly check, and they don’t all receive support for the same number of weeks. A skilled Asheville Workers’ Compensation Attorney would make sure administrators understood your specific hardships with your bite injury and the challenges you’ve faced. Our skilled attorneys can often secure more on your behalf and for a longer coverage period.
- Amazon. In some circumstances, Amazon could also be found liable. A Melrose Dog Bite Lawyer has experience taking on major corporations and would demand support from Amazon for its employee.
A lawyer working on your behalf could uncover evidence and show that Amazon ignored your safety and put pressure on you to enter a dangerous situation. You may have voiced prior concerns about the dog and the address. If the delivery company had knowledge of issues at a home or business from previous drivers and deliveries, it could be powerful evidence to show they are responsible for the consequences of asking employees to return.
What Types of Things Can I Be Compensated for After a Dog Bite While Making Deliveries?
Amazon drivers use their hands, their backs, and their legs and feet to do their jobs and keep Amazon customers happy. A dog bite can affect their ability to maintain their job performance on many levels.
A dog bite can break bones in the hands and wrists and in the ankles, leaving victims unable to lift or carry packages. Victims might suffer a deep wound that gets infected by the bacteria in a dog’s mouth, keeping them out of work longer. The pain of a bite anywhere on the body may make sitting in a big blue van or walking excruciating.
A Melrose Law legal representative would get aggressive to make sure our client received support for current damages and any medical care that may be necessary in the months ahead. That should include the cost of surgeries and weeks of physical therapy.
Our skilled attorneys would negotiate to make sure these and other damages were all compensated in a dog bite settlement check:
- Totals on all Medical Expenses and estimates on the care that may be needed in the years ahead.
- Lifetime support for delivery drivers who suffer a permanent disability and can’t return to their previous job duties.
- Support to repair scarring and disfigurement damage.
- Support for the pain victims suffer and may continue to experience
- Support to overcome emotional trauma, including depression from a loss of enjoyment of life due to an injury.
- Support to cope with PTSD symptoms from a scary dog attack.
- The reimbursement of lost wages and the benefits victims lose out on while they can’t work.
- The cost of retraining for a new career if victims can’t return to their former Amazon positions.
Protection for Jobs and Positions: Our team would also work tirelessly to preserve the victim’s position and job during such a difficult time. If a company tried to fire an injured delivery driver or demote them simply due to the consequences of a dog bite, we would file a lawsuit and seek justice for our client.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim after a dog bite in North Carolina?
North Carolina allows injured victims to wait up to three years before filing a claim. For a wrongful death case, families would have only two years to file a claim.
What if I can’t afford to hire an Asheville dog bite attorney?
You don’t need any up-front money to hire excellent legal representation in Western North Carolina. Anyone can afford Melrose Law’s protection. Melrose Law lawyers work on a contingency basis. It means we only get paid if we win your case. If we lose, you don’t owe anything. If we win, our fee actually comes out of the settlement money that a dog owner or Amazon must pay you.
Can the family of a fatal dog bite victim ask for support from the dog owner?
Families may ask dog owners for help with every financial need they have now and will face in the future. That can include money to help with paying off remaining medical bills and for funeral costs. A spouse, children, and other relatives of the victim should also receive support for the emotional loss and loss of companionship they can’t get back. The income the victim would have provided through an Amazon job must also be replaced. Amazon also offers the families of victims some support through a life insurance policy that most employees are enrolled in. However, that may not be the extent of Amazon’s liability. An Asheville wrongful death lawyer represents families and determines if Amazon contributed to a dog bite tragedy and should provide more to the family left behind.
Contact an Asheville Dog Bite Attorney
Your Melrose Law lawyer will fully investigate your accident and the dog owner responsible. The evidence gathered can make a big difference in the outcome of your case and the level of support you and your family receive. If your employer also needs to share in the blame, we can file claims against Amazon.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack in Asheville, Waynesville, or anywhere in Western North Carolina, please give us a call for a free case evaluation. This call is “no strings attached,” and there is no obligation to hire us if you decide to give our office a call.
