Jimmy John's 'freaky fast' delivery may have cost man his life

About an hour’s south of Pittsburgh and just across the border, a woman has filed a lawsuit against the national sandwich chain Jimmy John’s. The reason behind the lawsuit goes back to mid August when the woman’s father was walking his dog near his home in Morgantown. He was crossing the street and only a few blocks from home when a Jimmy John’s delivery driver struck and killed him.

Though it can be argued that the driver is responsible for the pedestrian’s wrongful death, how is his employer responsible? The woman alleges that because of Jimmy John’s claim of “freaky fast” delivery, there is immense pressure on drivers to get their sandwiches delivered quickly. According to the daughter, the company is creating working conditions that put other people’s safety and lives at risk.

Whether the woman’s lawsuit against the company will succeed will largely depend on the company’s culture. If drivers are hassled because they don’t deliver within a certain time period or if slower drivers are reassigned to other positions, there may be evidence that the company has created an environment in which speed is paramount. If there is indeed more emphasis on getting deliveries made in a quick manner than on following traffic laws or in driving safely, the woman might just win her case.

The driver who was behind the wheel that day told police that he was looking at the clock when he struck the pedestrian. Witnesses also said that he was going very fast. Whether the driver is also being sued is unknown.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Jimmy John’s sued in pedestrian’s death,” Richard Webner, Feb. 5, 2014