After you’re involved in an accident with a delivery truck, every second matters.
Commercial vehicle drivers and their employers can hide behind layers of technicalities and record incomplete site evidence, meaning the best way to protect yourself after a crash is to call your own qualified attorney — as soon as possible.
“People need to act fast in these types of situations to protect themselves and try to get evidence while it’s there,” said Stephen Burg, a Colorado delivery truck accident attorney and award-winning Burg Simpson shareholder. Burg Simpson takes commercial vehicle accidents on a contingency basis, fighting for the injured in cases against large companies and their drivers.
Unfortunately, many Colorado drivers are unaware of the hidden dangers commercial delivery drivers and their vehicles pose on roadways, especially during slick winter weather. Here’s what you should know about the conditions that may lead to these accidents and how you can protect yourself.
Commercial vehicle crashes rise as companies disregard safety regulations
Colorado State Patrol crash data reportedly logged 1,270 crashes involving commercial vehicles from January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, and another 1,188 crashes during the same period in 2025.
The Colorado State Patrol members “conduct 40,000 commercial inspections annually, and hundreds of educational audits and safety talks are provided to trucking companies,” in an effort to reduce the number of commercial motor vehicle crashes.
In 2023, CSP partnered with commercial vehicle technology company Drivewyze to provide in-cab safety messaging to thousands of drivers.
The first message warned drivers of a steep grade ahead so they should “Gear Down – Slow Down.” Vehicles that received the alert showed an average speed decrease of 4.3 mph.
Some companies use innovative technology and comply with commercial vehicle safety regulations. Unfortunately, others do not.
“There are companies right now that say, ‘I don’t care about the DOT regulations. Fine me whatever you want,’” said Burg. “They’re not going to change. If they have to, they’ll close their company and reopen another one. We’re dealing with a number of those right now.”
Companies that rehire impaired delivery drivers are a hidden danger
Even scarier is that some companies circumvent delivery driver requirements by building their trucks just pounds below the threshold of what requires a CDL. Others hire drivers who should never be behind the wheel.
For example, in one of Burg’s cases, a delivery driver was late and in a hurry. So, he blew through a stop sign in his huge commercial vehicle, going 40 mph, and T-boned their client on the driver’s side.
“Unfortunately, that scenario isn’t unique or a one-off,” Burg explained. “We found out that the company had a history of not doing background checks on the drivers and ignoring DOT regulations.
“In fact, this driver was previously fired because he had driven impaired previously for the company and caused a crash while impaired. And they literally hired him back six months later.”
Companies that put fatigued drivers or drivers with an atrocious driving history behind the wheel, or that don’t vet drivers at all, are endangering innocent drivers on Centennial State roadways.
A Colorado delivery truck accident attorney can investigate employers
Commercial drivers are responsible if they are driving their commercial vehicle and are at fault in an accident. However, Burg noted that if the driver is acting within their course and scope of employment, their employer may also be responsible.
A seasoned truck accident law firm in Colorado can investigate an employer to look for negligence in hiring, training, or supervising the driver involved in the crash. They can also determine whether the company properly vetted, trained, and monitored the driver, and whether the driver caused other crashes.
A third party can even be involved. For example, one company has a trailer of goods to deliver, but hires another company that’s not authorized to do that.
“These companies can find good drivers, but they can pay bad drivers less,” said Burg. “They’re like, let’s just hire the [person] because of their driving record that is getting turned down by everybody. They’re desperate. We can pay them two-thirds of what we’re paying other people.”
Trucking companies like this prioritize profits over safety, putting Colorado drivers at significant risk, Burg explained.
How rapid response teams impact a commercial vehicle crash case
Burg noted that dealing with insurance companies is complex in a commercial vehicle crash, and that rapid response teams for the commercial driver and their employer often arrive on the scene immediately to determine how to defend the case and cast blame on someone else.
Delivery drivers may even admit blame at the crash site, but then change their story later under the insurance company’s (or the rapid response team’s) guidance.
These teams may also tell the driver what to say or not say to police, and they’ll take pictures that omit key details, Burg added. The company sometimes will try to get the vehicle into its own shop and start making repairs that eliminate crash damage and evidence.
Contact a Colorado commercial vehicle accident lawyer ASAP
Thankfully, Burg Simpson has its own rapid response team that immediately looks for and documents evidence to support the crash victim’s case.
So, contacting a lawyer as soon as possible after a crash is vital.
“On these commercial vehicles, you’re not going to know how to take a photo of the braking, how to check the alignment, the wear of the tires, all the things that are really critical,” Burg stressed. “We have a team of people [who] go out and will inspect the vehicles [and] are very technical and will document everything.”
Types of damages commercial vehicle crash victims can pursue
The sheer impact from a collision with a large commercial vehicle can cause life-altering injuries and trauma, including permanent brain and spine injuries, organ lacerations, and more.
Commercial vehicle crash victims can pursue damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, physical impairment, and disfigurement, Burg advised.
“If a company has made repeated decisions to violate the law or to fail to protect the public, then punitive damages are on the table,” Burg added. “[For example], you knew this driver was unsafe. This driver had proven to be unsafe. Their driving history was evidence of unsafe driving. You consciously disregarded the safety risk of putting this person behind a 66,000-pound vehicle on our public roadways.”
The sooner a crash victim or their loved ones contacts a Colorado delivery truck accident lawyer, the better for their case. However, even for past cases, Burg encouraged victims to contact Burg Simpson Law Firm at any time to see what’s possible.
Burg Simpson is not intimidated by corporate legal threats
Some big companies try to bully a commercial crash victim by hiring lots of lawyers, filing numerous motions, and trying to drive up defense costs to squash smaller law firms, Burg said.
The Burg Simpson team takes cases on a contingency basis and is not intimidated by these threats.
“The nice part is [with] a firm of our size, we’ve taken on the biggest companies in the world. They’re not able to do that with us,” Burg said. “We go to war and have won with the biggest companies around.”
And for Burg, winning a case is about one core issue, the driving force behind everything they do: giving victims and their families access to critical medical care they otherwise can’t afford.
“I’m proud of the results I’ve gotten because I know for some of my clients…that money gives them access to medical care that they’re going to need for the rest of their lives,” Burg said.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a crash involving a delivery or commercial vehicle truck, contact Burg Simpson today.
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