Holiday Deliveries: Slip-and-Falls & Dog Bites Involving Package Carriers and Guests

It’s that time of year again — the doorbell rings every hour, driveways are slick with snow, and porches are piled high with packages. Delivery trucks crawl through Michigan neighborhoods as drivers rush to make hundreds of stops a day, while families welcome guests, set out decorations, and let excited pets greet whoever’s at the door.

But behind the warmth and generosity of the holidays lies a serious risk: a surge in slip-and-fall accidents and dog bite injuries. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Michigan sees a sharp increase in delivery-related and guest injuries. Snow and ice, poor lighting, and unrestrained dogs can turn a simple delivery into a life-changing accident.

Both delivery drivers and property owners have legal responsibilities when it comes to safety. Drivers must exercise reasonable caution, but homeowners are equally obligated to keep their premises safe and secure for anyone lawfully on their property. When accidents happen, Michigan law provides clear remedies — including compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Slip & Falls and Michigan’s Premises Liability Law

Under Michigan law, property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe conditions for anyone lawfully entering their premises. This duty applies not only to friends and family visiting during the holidays, but also to delivery drivers — from Amazon and FedEx to USPS and DoorDash — who come onto your property in the course of their work.

This area of law is known as premises liability, and it determines when a homeowner may be held responsible for an injury that occurs on their property. Michigan law classifies visitors into two main categories:

• Invitees: These are individuals like delivery drivers, postal workers, or utility service personnel who enter a property for a business purpose. Homeowners owe invitees the highest duty of care, meaning they must actively ensure the property is safe and take reasonable steps to fix or warn about potential hazards.
• Licensees: These are social guests — friends, neighbors, or family members — who are invited for non-business reasons. Homeowners still have a duty to warn of known dangers, even if they don’t have to inspect as thoroughly as they would for invitees.

For both categories, property owners must take reasonable precautions to prevent injuries. This includes:

• Removing snow and ice from driveways, walkways, and steps.
• Salting or sanding slippery areas.
• Keeping porches and entryways well-lit for nighttime deliveries and guests.
• Clearing clutter and hazards such as cords, decorations, or uneven surfaces.
• Warning visitors about hidden dangers — for example, a broken step, loose railing, or slick tile inside the front door.

When homeowners fail to maintain a reasonably safe property, they can be held liable if a delivery driver slips, trips, or falls while making a delivery. Even if weather conditions contributed to the accident, Michigan’s courts often look at whether the homeowner took appropriate steps to minimize danger — such as salting early or keeping the entryway clear.

Dog Bites and Michigan’s Strict Liability Law

For many delivery drivers, it’s not just snow and ice that pose a risk — it’s the unexpected bark and bite behind the front door. Even well-trained pets can act unpredictably when startled by a stranger or the sound of a package drop-off. Fortunately, Michigan law provides strong protection for those injured by dog bites.

Under Michigan’s strict liability dog bite statute (MCL 287.351), dog owners are automatically responsible if their dog bites a person who is lawfully on the property, regardless of whether the dog has ever shown aggression before. That means a homeowner cannot avoid responsibility by saying they “didn’t know the dog was dangerous.”

Those protected under this law include:

• Delivery drivers, mail carriers, and service workers lawfully performing their duties.
• Invited guests and visitors entering a home or yard with permission.

The only exceptions occur if the victim was trespassing or provoked the dog into attacking. Outside of those rare cases, Michigan’s law holds dog owners strictly liable for the resulting injuries — from puncture wounds and nerve damage to infection and emotional trauma.

If you’re bitten, it’s critical to:

• Report the incident immediately to local animal control or police.
• Seek medical treatment — even minor bites can lead to serious infections.
• Document the scene and injuries with photos, witness names, and details about the dog.

Homeowners Insurance and Compensation for Delivery Driver Injuries

In most cases, homeowners insurance policies cover injuries that occur on residential property — including slip-and-falls and dog bites affecting delivery drivers or guests. These policies exist to protect both the injured person and the homeowner from financial loss.

Here’s how coverage typically works:

• Liability Coverage: This portion pays for an injured visitor’s medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering when the homeowner is found responsible for the injury.
• Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay): Often available regardless of fault, this can cover immediate medical expenses such as ER visits or urgent care bills, even while liability is being investigated.

For delivery drivers employed by major carriers — like UPS, FedEx, Amazon, or USPS — injury claims can involve multiple layers of coverage. You may be entitled to both:

1. Workers’ Compensation Benefits through your employer (covering medical care and wage loss), and
2. A Premises Liability or Dog Bite Claim against the homeowner’s insurance for additional damages such as pain and suffering.

Because every situation is unique, it’s important to file both types of claims as soon as possible to ensure no compensation is left on the table.

Preserving Evidence After a Delivery-Related Injury

After a delivery accident or dog bite, what happens in the first few hours can determine how strong your case is later. Evidence disappears quickly—snow melts, footprints vanish, packages are moved, and witnesses go about their day. That’s why acting fast is crucial to protecting your rights.

If you’re injured while making a delivery or visiting someone’s home, take these steps right away:

• Report the incident immediately. Let the homeowner, your employer, or animal control know what happened. This creates a clear, time-stamped record.
• Take photos of the scene. Capture snow and ice conditions, stairs, lighting, warning signs, and any hazards. In dog bite cases, photograph the dog itself, your injuries, and the area of the attack.
• Keep all medical records and track every doctor visit, treatment, and expense. This documentation helps prove both your injuries and their ongoing impact.
• Get witness names and contact information. Neighbors, co-workers, or anyone nearby can help verify what happened if insurance companies dispute your story.
• Save digital evidence. Delivery logs, timestamps, and GPS route data from handheld devices (like Amazon or FedEx scanners) can confirm where and when the incident occurred.

When to Call a Delivery Driver Injury Lawyer in Michigan

During the holidays, delivery drivers and service workers are busier than ever — and unfortunately, that means more opportunities for accidents. From slipping on an icy porch to being bitten by an unrestrained dog, these injuries can be painful, costly, and confusing to navigate legally.

There are certain situations where immediate legal help is essential:

• Serious injuries such as fractures, concussions, or those requiring surgery or extended recovery time.
• Dog bites or slip-and-falls caused by unsafe or poorly maintained property.
• Insurance disputes or claim denials, especially when companies try to shift responsibility.
• Conflicts between workers’ compensation and homeowners insurance, leaving victims unsure which policy should pay.

At Liss, Shapero & Mitnick, we understand the challenges delivery professionals face when doing their jobs in unpredictable Michigan weather. Our attorneys communicate directly with insurance adjusters, collect medical and employment evidence, and negotiate for full compensation — including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term care needs.

Injured on the Job or on Someone’s Property? Get the Help You Deserve.

It only takes one small moment — a patch of ice, a loose step, or a dog that wasn’t properly secured — to cause lasting harm. But if you’ve been injured while making a delivery or visiting someone’s home, know that Michigan law offers strong protection for people just like you.

The most important thing you can do is act quickly. Report the incident, seek medical care, and preserve as much evidence as possible before it’s lost or forgotten. Then, reach out for legal guidance — because every day that passes makes it harder to prove your claim.

At Liss, Shapero & Mitnick, we handle these cases with compassion, integrity, and precision. Our attorneys have over 25 years of experience representing injured workers and visitors across Metro Detroit and Michigan. We know how to hold homeowners, insurers, and corporations accountable so our clients receive the maximum compensation available under the law.

📞 Call 248-584-1300 or Toll-Free 1-855-LISS-LAW (547-7529)
🌐 Visit lsmlawyers.com

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