Cultural critics might say that Americans have become overly comfortable with convenience.
The ease of so many online transactions has made them a preferred method of commerce for many people. But ordering a pizza or some other item that must be delivered involves more than merely a few quick clicks. It requires delivery drivers out on the road.
In this post, we will discuss how delivery drivers in Kalamazoo and across the country raise the risk of car accidents. They do this when their focus on speedy delivery gets in the way of safety.
In one particular case, a driver for Jimmy John’s, a sandwich shop with stores across the country, hit a man who was out walking his dog.
The accident occurred in Morgantown, West Virginia last summer. The man hit by the Jimmy John’s driver was killed. And his family is now bringing a lawsuit for wrongful death.
The suit contends that Jimmy John’s corporate policy of promoting the brand’s “freaky fast delivery” also promotes unsafe actions by delivery drivers. When these drivers are forced to go too fast, pedestrian accidents and collisions with other cars become more likely than they would under normal driving conditions.
In the West Virginia case, a police report indicates that the delivery driver was consulting the ubiquitous clock on the dashboard when he struck and killed the pedestrian.
This is not the first time Jimmy John’s has been sued in this type of case. A few years ago, a lawsuit in Illinois contended that the company’s much-touted emphasis on speedy delivery led to a motorcycle accident. That case is now on appeal.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Jimmy John's sued in pedestrian's death," Richard Webner, Feb. 5, 2014