Hurt in a car or truck crash?
Leave your name and phone. We call back today, in English or Spanish. The consultation is free and confidential.
Free consultation · English y Español · No fees or costs unless we win
Who employed the driver
A branded van does not always tell you who the driver works for. Some delivery drivers are employed by the brand on the van, and others work for a separate company that delivers under contract. The answer matters because the employer is usually the one whose insurance pays when an employee causes a crash while working. Finding that out early is one of the first jobs in these cases.
The van may also be owned or leased by someone other than the employer. Under federal law, a rental or leasing company is generally not liable just because it owns a vehicle a renter crashes, unless the company itself was at fault or committed a crime (49 U.S.C. 30106). That points the claim toward the driver and the business that employed them. See company car accidents.
How delivery van crashes often happen
Delivery routes involve many stops, tight schedules and a lot of backing up, double parking and quick turns into driveways. Crashes often involve a van pulling out from the curb, a sudden stop, a turn across traffic, or backing into a parked car or a person. A California driver turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles close enough to be a hazard (Vehicle Code 21801).
People on foot are often near delivery vans. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at intersections (Vehicle Code 21950). Our page on pedestrians hit by a car explains more. If the van struck you from behind, the rule that a driver must not follow more closely than is reasonable and prudent may also come into play (Vehicle Code 21703).
Free accident case review
Tell us what happened. We will tell you plainly whether there is a case and what to do next. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Evidence to collect and save
Write down the van’s license plate, any number painted on it, the name of the delivery company if one is shown, and the time of the crash. Get the driver’s name and insurance information. Photograph the scene, the van, your vehicle and your injuries. Delivery records, route data and any onboard camera footage may exist, and a lawyer can ask the companies to keep them.
Whether a given van had a camera, and what it recorded, has to be confirmed through the companies. Our page on cameras in Amazon delivery vans explains how footage requests work. The police report also helps. The agency that wrote it must release it to an injured person or their lawyer, and may charge only its actual cost (Vehicle Code 20012).
Insurance that may apply
The employer’s commercial policy is often the main source of payment. If that coverage is not available or not enough, your own policy may help. California auto policies must include uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage unless the policyholder deleted it in a signed written agreement (Insurance Code 11580.2). MedPay, if you bought it, pays reasonable medical expenses from a covered crash regardless of fault (MedPay coverage).
Fault may be shared. California uses pure comparative fault, so your own share, if any, reduces your recovery but does not bar it (pure comparative fault). If you were driving, a California crash with injury or more than $1,000 in property damage must be reported to the DMV on form SR-1 within 10 days (Vehicle Code 16000). Keep a copy for your records.
What to do now
Get checked by a doctor, even if you feel okay, and follow the treatment plan. Keep medical bills, receipts and claim numbers in one place. Do not sign anything from the delivery company or its insurer, and do not give a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer. If someone offers a quick check, find out what you would be giving up before you take it.
In California, an injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1); in Washington, the general limit is three years (RCW 4.16.080). If a larger Amazon-branded truck was involved instead of a van, see Amazon truck accidents in California. Call (310) 552-6959 or use the form, and we can help identify who employed the driver.
- Photograph the van, its plate, any van number and company name.
- Get the driver’s name and insurance information.
- Write down the time, location and police report number.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Keep medical bills and receipts.
- Do not sign releases or give recorded statements before getting legal advice.
Common questions
Can I sue Amazon if a delivery driver hit me?
It depends on who employed the driver and how the delivery work was set up. The claim usually goes against the driver and the company that employed them, and possibly other businesses connected to the delivery. A lawyer can look at the van, the driver’s employer and the contracts involved to see who may be responsible.
Who pays my medical bills after an Amazon van crash?
At the end of the claim, the responsible party’s insurance usually pays. Before that, your own MedPay, if you have it, may help with medical bills regardless of fault, and your health insurance may cover care. The exact terms come from each policy, so keep every bill and ask a lawyer to review them.
What if the Amazon delivery driver left the scene?
A California driver in an injury crash must stop, give their information and help anyone hurt; leaving is a crime (Vehicle Code 20001). Write down whatever you saw of the van, call police and get medical care. Your uninsured motorist coverage may apply to a hit-and-run, but strict reporting deadlines apply.
What if an Amazon van hit my parked car?
Photograph the damage and the van if it is still there, get the driver’s information and any witness names, and report it to your insurer. In California, a lawsuit for damage to property such as a car generally must be filed within three years (Code of Civil Procedure 338).
Ask a question
Not ready to call? Write your question and someone on our team will answer. No cost, no commitment.
Car and truck accident lawyer — Beverly Law
If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Amazon Truck Accident in California · Do Amazon Delivery Vans Have Cameras? · FedEx Truck Accident · UPS Truck Accident · USPS mail truck accident: the federal claim rules · All car and truck accident questions
Sources
- CACI Nos. 3700, 3701, 3720; Cal. Civ. Code § 2338
- 49 U.S.C. § 30106(a)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 21801(a)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 21950(a)-(b)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 21703
- Cal. Veh. Code § 20012
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- California Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Terms glossary; policy terms
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
- Cal. Veh. Code § 16000(a); DMV form SR 1 (Rev. 6/2025)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- Cal. Veh. Code §§ 20001(a)-(b), 20003(a)-(b)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(c)(1)
Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.