When delivery drivers access the wrong property—whether through navigation errors, address confusion, or carelessness—accidents can occur. Homeowners may face injuries, property damage, or trespassing concerns when delivery personnel enter the wrong address.

Wrong Address Delivery Scenarios

Navigation errors send drivers to incorrect addresses, where they may enter private property, driveways, or backyards that don't expect their presence. GPS mistakes and similar street names contribute to these errors.

Multi-unit confusion leads drivers to wrong apartments, condos, or townhomes within complexes. Drivers may enter wrong buildings or units.

Address transposition occurs when drivers misread or confuse addresses (123 vs. 132, Oak Street vs. Oak Lane), arriving at properties where no delivery is expected.

Injuries from Wrong-Address Deliveries

Accidents at wrong addresses can cause various injuries. Vehicle accidents when drivers enter wrong driveways, hitting residents, pets, or property. Falls or collisions when drivers enter private areas without permission. Confrontations with surprised or alarmed residents. Dog bites when drivers enter properties with protective animals.

Property Damage

Wrong-address deliveries cause property damage when drivers damage driveways, landscaping, fences, mailboxes, or vehicles while entering or leaving incorrect properties. Property owners can pursue damage claims against delivery companies regardless of whether personal injuries occurred.

Trespassing Issues

Trespassing is entering property without permission. While delivery drivers have implied permission to approach addresses expecting deliveries, that permission doesn't extend to wrong addresses. Drivers entering incorrect properties are technically trespassers.

Trespassing creates liability for any harm caused while unlawfully on property, even without additional negligence.

Delivery Company Liability

Companies are liable for wrong-address incidents when drivers act negligently in verifying addresses, company systems provide incorrect routing, inadequate training leads to avoidable errors, and companies fail to implement address verification procedures.

The company benefits from delivery activity and should bear responsibility for errors.

Driver Liability

Individual drivers may be liable when they fail to verify addresses before entering property, ignore clear address markings, enter property despite uncertainty, and act carelessly on private property.

Drivers have duties to exercise reasonable care in determining correct delivery locations.

Dog Bite Situations

Wrong-address deliveries frequently involve dog bites. Residents who don't expect visitors may have dogs loose in yards. When drivers enter these properties, bites can result.

Liability in dog bite cases involving delivery drivers is complex—it may depend on whether the driver was authorized to be on the property, whether the dog was properly contained, and local dog bite laws.

Homeowner Concerns

Residents surprised by unexpected delivery drivers on their property may face difficult situations. You have rights to protect your property, but confrontations can escalate dangerously. Document incidents with photographs and video rather than physical confrontation.

Report repeated wrong-address deliveries to the delivery company. Patterns of errors may support claims for harassment or negligent operations.

Pursuing Wrong-Address Claims

If you're injured or suffer property damage from a wrong-address delivery, document everything: photograph damage, note the delivery company and vehicle information, and gather witness statements. Report the incident to the delivery company and local police if appropriate.

Contact an attorney if you've suffered significant injuries or damage. Wrong-address delivery claims may involve property damage, personal injury, and trespassing theories against both the driver and company.

Even seemingly minor incidents may warrant claims if repeated problems suggest systemic company negligence.