I Was Injured by a UPS Truck
Posted on August 17, 2022 in Truck Accidents
The United Parcel Service is one of the most well-known delivery companies in the world, and their brown trucks are a common site around all major cities across the country. However, what happens if you are involved in an accident and sustained an injury in an incident with a UPS truck? Who will pay the medical bills? Here, we want to discuss accidents involving UPS trucks, liability, and how medical bills get paid.
How do UPS Truck Accidents Occur?
The most recent numbers regarding how many trucks UPS has places the fleet at around 119,000 vehicles in the US, but this number is growing. As more and more individuals have become accustomed to having their goods delivered to their door, all delivery services have increased the number of vehicles in their fleet.
With so many vehicles on the road, accidents with a UPS truck will happen. UPS drivers, though they are certainly trained to operate their vehicles, can make mistakes. In the US, a UPS driver only needs a commercial driver’s license if they operate a tractor-trailer or freight driver vehicle, but the drivers in the traditional brown delivery trucks that you see are not required to have a CDL to operate.
These incidents can occur in much the same way any type of vehicle accident occurs, often due to the negligent actions of a UPS driver. This could include distracted driving, operating too fast for conditions, failing to yield the right of way, failing to stop at appropriate stop signs or stop lights, and even impaired driving.
Additionally, because these vehicles are larger, failing to regularly inspect and maintain the UPS trucks could lead to vehicle failure while the truck is on the roadway, which will, in turn, increase the chances of an accident that causes injuries and property damage.
Compensation After a UPS Truck Accident
Individuals who sustain injuries caused by the negligent actions of a UPS driver may be able to recover a variety of types of compensation. Proving fault for these incidents can be challenging, but if the case is successful, individuals should be able to recover compensation for:
- All medical bills related to the accident
- Property damage expenses
- Various out-of-pocket losses
- Lost income if a person cannot work
- Physical pain and suffering damages
- Emotional and psychological damages
- Loss of quality of life damages
The total amount of compensation available to UPS accident victims will vary depending on several factors related to their particular claim. Some of the factors that will be analyzed by the insurance carrier, a judge, or a personal injury jury include the severity of the injuries, the level of property damage, whether or not there was any shared fault for the incident, and the totality of pain and suffering losses.
Some of the various types of evidence that you or your attorney will need to help prove fault include photographs taken at the scene of the incident, possible surveillance footage from nearby cameras, incident reports filled out by law enforcement officers, statements from other drivers or eyewitnesses, and more. These cases can become incredibly complicated, and we strongly encourage you to work with a skilled delivery driver accident lawyer in Oregon who can walk you through this entire claim.
Call our Portland car accident lawyers today.