Posted on 12/25/2020 6:01:00 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
An 83-year-old Clackamas County woman suffered significant injuries as a result of a common practice by delivery drivers -- leaving a package on a porch without knocking on the home’s door or ringing the bell, a lawsuit claims.
Christa Hoven has filed a personal-injury complaint against Amazon, claiming the online retail giant is responsible for her tripping over a box.
After a brief March 14 visit with her son at his Happy Valley house, Hoven stepped out of the front door and tripped on a “shoebox-sized package that had been left just in front of (and below) the doorway,” the suit alleges.
Security-camera footage shows that during Hoven’s time in the house, a worker wearing an Amazon vest placed the package in front of the door and left without making any effort to notify the home’s occupants of the delivery, according to the complaint.
The suit continues:
“Of all the potential locations on the porch to leave the package, this location was foreseeably the one that would be hardest to see by someone exiting the house.”
After tripping over the box, Hoven fell and hit her head, the lawsuit states. She suffered a concussion, leading to “concentration and memory problems” and “constant head pain.” She also injured an elbow and a hand and now suffers from increased fear, according to the complaint.
The suit claims that Hoven’s injuries could have been avoided if the delivery person had placed the package in a “conspicuous location” on the porch or made an effort to notify the household of the delivery. Hoven is seeking damages of up to $75,000 for pain and suffering.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Assuming everything she is saying is true, she certainly has a legitimate claim. Leaving a package right in the doorway is certainly negligent, and an injury like this is certainly foreseeable.
Leaving anything In front of a door leaves the chance that 50% of the time someone is leaving or coming, So there is 50% chance of an unforeseen injury.
Why would you not ring the bell or knock on the door? It takes 2 seconds.
However, to leave a package on the door, visible to strangers is leaving it to chance that someone could steal the package.
At 84, she could literally be injured so bad she could die. Sorry, but someone besides her should pay for all medical bills. Then maybe the drivers will learn to be respectful of the customers and take better care for their package.
Now, unless Amazon was also the company delivering the package, then only the company delivering the package is liable.
If I were on the jury I would award her damages, but nothing more than what would make her whole.
If she died due to her injuries, well, then they could be in the tank for a lot more.
Because it is. I have 3 doorbells, and with a note to delivery persons to ring the bell, but usually they do not. And while the porch is a few feet from the street, I caught one going way around the back where he had no business being, and where some bikes were parked. Most drivers however are good, and have a very heavy work load.
This was probably not a good time to ask herself, “Are my bones strong?” (I have seen that commercial way too many times,,,,,,)
You can remember, but that does not mean you know when the package is delivered, or when a thief will come by to take it. Tracking can often be inaccurate, and at best tells you that it is out for delivery, but there is no set time for delivery arrival.
Our front porch is about 3 steps from the sidewalk and in a lower income city of about 20k per mile, and I thank God I have been able to order many things over the years and rarely have had any problems with delivery, but as a former trick driver and delivery man (dairy) who used to put the stock away, then i think ringing a doorbell should not be too much to expect even as a courtesy.
It IS irritating.
Touch of Modern (online store) sells these things that look like a blunt-ended key so you can push say, elevator buttons without using your finger.
Amazon should give their drivers something like this for doorbells.
I find it irritating that they don’t knock or ring the bell anymore. How much time does that take?
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Me, too! Especially when I am in the house and expecting the package. A doorbell ring would be all I need to retrieve it. Sometimes I am even checking periodically, and voila, there’s a package. But they never rang the doorbell.
All during the “time of Covid - all the delivery companies’ drivers were doing a single ring and leaving - until about three weeks ago, when they all stopped ringing and are just leaving the packages - some to the side of the door, some right in front of the door. Clearly there has been a policy change. I’m just guessing that maybe they felt touching the doorbells put the drivers at added risk. I doubt the short time if takes to ring a bell was felt to cut down on throughput efficiency.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who is opening the front door periodically and looking for something one ordered.... Just what we needed. Another obsessive-compulsive behavior to add to the list of the past 10 months!
“So she wants it left in a more ‘conspicuous’ location, easier for the porch pirates to find it.?”
It’s right in front of the damn door. How much more conspicuous could it be?
And how heavy was the box that it stayed stationary enough for her to “trip” over it?
I’m calling BS on this suit.
“I find it irritating that they don’t knock or ring the bell anymore. How much time does that take?”
99% of the time nobody is home when they deliver, so what’s the point?
“And before anyone goes and tries to qualify the validity of delivering goods to an unsecure doorstep, cite a SINGLE company which does the same to ANY business (leaving the packages on the doorstep or loading dock).”
FedEx, UPS, SAIA, Averitt, etc do it all the time where I work because our storeroom clerk can’t be everywhere at once. So boxes or whole pallets of supplies are left on the dock or on the storeroom counter.
I have NEVER worked for a business which accepted goods left outside or, for that matter, when the business was closed/locked.
“99% of the time nobody is home when they deliver, so what’s the point?”
The point is what this lawsuit is about. They placed a package where someone could step out their front door onto a box they didn’t realize was there, causing an accident.
I’ve had packages placed exactly where someone stepping out the door would step right on it. Other times it’s placed off to the side where it isn’t a hazard. People need to be thoughtful about the possible consequences of their actions. And their failure to do so can result in some harsh judgements.
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