New Study Found Nearly 20% of Drivers Making Deliveries for Amazon Suffered Injuries

New Study Found Nearly 20% of Drivers Making Deliveries for Amazon Suffered Injuries

At Waple & Houk, our Charlotte workers’ compensation attorneys advocate for North Carolina workers’ safety — no matter where or who they work for. Unfortunately, there continues to be a recurring theme involving an alarming rate of injuries occurring at Amazon facilities.

This time, it involves their drivers.

A recent study by the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) reveals that nearly 20% of Amazon delivery drivers sustained injuries in 2021—marking a staggering 40% rise from the previous year’s rate. This latest data highlights what the study calls an “escalating injury crisis” within Amazon’s delivery operations, primarily fueled by demanding quotas and intense pressure to deliver packages swiftly.

The SOC’s analysis, based on data provided by Amazon and its delivery partners to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2021, underscores the severe impact of strict production targets on driver safety. Drivers have voiced concerns that the relentless push to meet these quotas significantly heightens their risk of injury on the job.

With over 3,000 Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) employing 275,000 drivers and delivering more than 10 million customer packages daily, the question becomes, whose workers’ compensation insurance coverage can drivers pursue for work-related injuries? Or can they?

We have answers.

Amazon Relies on a Rapidly Expanding Network of Contracted Delivery Services

Amazon partners with third-party delivery firms, often small businesses known as delivery service partners (DSPs), to manage the last leg of its package deliveries from warehouses to customers. These DSPs are tasked with hiring and training drivers, planning delivery routes, and maintaining their fleets.

As this program has expanded, Amazon has faced criticism from labor advocates, lawmakers, and DSPs who claim that the company values speed more than driver safety.

A report by the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) reveals that Amazon’s contracted delivery drivers experience injuries at nearly two-and-a-half times the rate of drivers in the broader non-Amazon delivery industry.

The report also highlights that in 2021, one out of every seven Amazon drivers suffered injuries so severe that they were either unable to perform their regular duties or were forced to take time off work.

Amazon’s last-mile delivery stations, the final step in the company’s fulfillment process before packages reach customers, are identified as the “most dangerous” type of Amazon facility, with injury rates exceeding those of warehouses by more than 40%, according to the report.

Which Company’s Workers’ Compensation Can Injured Amazon Drivers Pursue for Benefits?

The report reveals that Amazon delivery drivers frequently face injuries from trips, slips, falls, muscle strains, animal attacks, car accidents, and collisions with objects like fence posts.

Injured North Carolina workers must rely on their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance to be there for their medical care and wage replacement income so they can fully heal and, hopefully, get back to work.

If the driver does not work directly for Amazon, they must typically pursue their employer — the DSP — for workers’ compensation benefits. Even though this is a direct connection, the insurance company may dispute the claim based on a perceived technicality. While this is unfair, it is expected. We can help.

Contact Our Experienced Workers’ Compensation in North Carolina Today

Our dedicated workers’ compensation attorneys in North Carolina are available today by phone or schedule a free consultation online to learn more about how we can help you pursue the best outcome for your injury claim.