UPS driver from West Seattle recovering from getting attacked on the job in Belltown

A UPS delivery driver who lives in West Seattle is recovering from injuries after getting attacked on the job.

(Photos from GoFundMe.com page)

This happened three weeks ago in Belltown; we just learned about it this week when we got a note about a crowdfunding campaign to cover some of his expenses.

The driver, Jason Yates, has lived in West Seattle for 15 years, Arbor Heights for the past 10. His partner Sara Currie says he spent more than four years delivering a West Seattle route. He’s worked for UPS for 17 years.

We requested the police narrative for the incident after hearing from Sara. The narrative says Jason told police he parked his UPS truck in an alley in the 300 block of Lenora to make deliveries. The attacker’s vehicle, a dark SUV, was behind him, and another vehicle pulled behind that one, “trapping” the attacker, who asked Jason to move his truck so he could get out of the alley. According to the report, Jason said he had to make a delivery first. The attacker then is reported to have thrown a glass bottle at Jason, and then pinned him against a garage gate; Jason pulled out his phone to try to get a photo of the attacker, who then punched him in the head several times. A witness who saw this from a nearby building also confirmed seeing the attacker get out of his vehicle and punch Jason repeatedly, before backing out to leave the alley. Someone nearby got his license-plate number and gave it to police, who wrote in the report that it checked to an address in Federal Way, but said nothing more about the investigation status.

Sara says Jason spent more than a week in the hospital, and has more treatment and therapy ahead for head and body injuries; the crowdfunding campaign is meant to help cover those expenses as well as lost wages since he can’t work, and any costs incurred in pursuing justice in the case.

24 Replies to "UPS driver from West Seattle recovering from getting attacked on the job in Belltown"

  • Darren January 8, 2025 (8:39 pm)

    Gosh, hope justice is served. Get well soon.

  • West Seattle Mad Sci Guy January 8, 2025 (9:05 pm)

    I wonder if he gets any kind of compensation from UPS for being attacked on the job. I think I remember reading they are technically independent contractors, but I didn’t get the full info.

    • MacJ January 8, 2025 (10:57 pm)

      That’s Fedex, UPS is union, to my knowledge.

    • K January 9, 2025 (1:56 am)

      He will be eligible for worker’s comp. UPS is self-insured so it will go through Helmsman or whoever they’re contracting with these days, instead of state L&I, but it’s an on-the-job injury.  Sometimes the insurer can declare it to be a third party injury, saying the job itself isn’t what resulted in the injuries, but the claim will still be accepted and treatment + time loss covered.  There’s just a subrogation process at the end where the insurance company places a lien on any recoveries made if there is a financial settlement.  In third party cases, L&I will do the litigation and negotiate a settlement for you if you want; you’re not required to hire your own attorney.  Not sure if private insurers are required to offer the same.  Regardless, personal injury attorneys work on a “percentage of the recovery” basis anyway so there’s no real out-of-pocket.  And again, that’s only IF the company chooses to cover it as a third-party claim.  When my spouse was attacked on the job (by a dog, not a human… happens all the time), they chose not to go the third-party route and handled the claim like any other injury, even though dog bites would qualify as third-party.  Hope that answers some questions. And, yes, they are hourly and represented by the Teamsters.

  • 1994 January 8, 2025 (9:46 pm)

    Has he filed a claim with WA State Dept of Labor & Industries for an on the job injury or assault?  Wishing him a good recovery!

    • K January 9, 2025 (2:33 am)

      It will be covered but the wages aren’t covered 100%.  There’s a crime victims fund, but that has limits.  There are also incidental expenses with injuries like this, like parking and hospital meals, new baggier clothes to accommodate wound dressings and mobility, lost wages for the partner taking time off to care for the person, things that aren’t covered by insurance. Wishing Jason a full, and hopefully quick, recovery!

  • Lawyer January 8, 2025 (10:19 pm)

    It’s called “Workman’s Compensation”

    • WSzombie January 8, 2025 (10:32 pm)

      No, it’s “workers compensation”. And here’s the link in case anybody has issues in the future and need a reference. https://lni.wa.gov/insurance/

    • Lawyer January 9, 2025 (1:19 am)

      Loving the backseat lawyers with no law degree! LNI provides only the bare minimum. If you want a true recovery, hire a lawyer who knows these claims and file a civil suit.

    • Ltmmgm January 9, 2025 (6:47 am)

      First off let me say that I am sorry this happened to him/Jason and hope he recovers quickly!As for the questions/comments above: UPS is Union, Self-Insured, (so all medical, rehabilitation, and time loss  will be paid) have LTD, and they also have accrued “Seattle sick and safe time”  and as mentioned, it was an “on the job injury” so there should be no denying of anything.

  • J. Penrose January 9, 2025 (12:24 am)

    UPS should be covering his medical and paying him while he is out. And pursuing their own civil suit against the attacker.I am far from what might be called a liberal, but this seems simple justjce.

  • KT January 9, 2025 (7:24 am)

    UPS has good benefits including both short and long term disability insurance…thank you Union negotiator.  

  • Paul January 9, 2025 (8:58 am)

    UPS had a reported PROFIT in 2022 of 11.55 BILLION dollars.  You would think that they could afford to cover the lost wages for this driver.  

  • Neighbor January 9, 2025 (9:44 am)

    Thank you for sharing this.Just donated to the GoFundMe page. So sorry to hear this happened. All the best to Jason 

  • Christopher B. January 9, 2025 (9:51 am)

    UPS will realize a profit of more than $70 billion this year. And here this employee is viciously attacked while doing business for that company and he’s left to put out a hat to strangers to help fund his recovery. Yeah, I guess that tracks in the America of today, where GoFundMe seems to be the #1 healthcare provider.

    • Neighbor January 9, 2025 (10:46 am)

      Do you know something the rest of us don’t?  70bn in profit would be a 10x increase in net income over 2023.  If that’s the case it’s time to invest in UPS.  It seems more likely that you have confused revenue with profit which is a huge mistake.  I suggest at least reading the Wikipedia pages on revenue and net income or even taking a community college accounting course.  The presence of the GoFundMe doesn’t prove anything about the assistance provided by UPS.

    • Ltmmgm January 9, 2025 (3:18 pm)

      My husband is a package handler for UPS 35yrs has stock in UPS and we are getting ready to cash it in and reinvest what is there in something else. It has been a loser investment for a long time. 😔 So the 70 billion is news to us.

  • AP January 9, 2025 (12:02 pm)

    Assaulting someone because they prevented you from driving your car for an extra 30 seconds. That is peak car brain disease right there. I hope Jason fully recovers and gets justice.

  • CAM January 9, 2025 (2:19 pm)

    No matter how good your coverage is, there are always expenses that the victim in an assault like this will end up footing the bill for. For example, broken bone = new clothes that fit over a cast or splint. OTC pain meds once you’re home. Meal delivery. Help with cleaning and maintenance around the home that you need to hire someone for now. Increased fuel/gas expense + parking fees from having to drive more due to decreased mobility. It’s all little things but it adds up quickly. 

  • Will January 9, 2025 (3:00 pm)

    Most states have a Crime Victim Compensation program to financially help in these kinds of situations and Washington is no exception. Details at https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/apply-for-crime-victim-benefits

  • Sixbuck January 9, 2025 (9:30 pm)

    Worker’s compensation still owes me about $500 from 2014. My claim was approved, the money never showed. From my discussions with others this appears to be standard operating procedure. Sorry this happened to you. Good luck getting money from the state of Washington. They only know how to take!

  • Bill January 10, 2025 (7:11 am)

    I’m sorry Jason and family. What a horrible experience.

  • 22blades January 10, 2025 (8:05 am)

    I’m sure he’d trade all the compensation in the world for getting his normal life back. Hoping for a speedy recovery. For all the frontline delivery workers, be safe & you are appreciated.

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