If you or your loved one was hurt in a wreck caused by one of the many delivery trucks that cruised through your town during the holiday season, then you need to act against both the driver responsible for the wreck as well as their employer, whether that be Amazon, FedEx or UPS. But before you can take legal action, you have to understand how these accidents occur. By doing so, you’ll be able to figure out the best way to proceed with building your personal injury case.
As with any type of accident, there are several ways that a delivery truck wreck can play out. This includes any of the following circumstances:
- Distracted driving: Delivery drivers have to keep their eyes peeled for turns and delivery addresses, which might also require them to confer with a navigation device. All of this looking around takes their eyes off the road, which could cause them to miss changed traffic conditions as well as traffic signals, stop signs and crosswalks. This can lead to a high-speed accident that causes significant harm.
- Improper reversing: Delivery trucks are large and can be hard to maneuver. Yet, far too many delivery truck drivers throw their vehicles into reverse and hit the gas without proper consideration of their surroundings. This can result in them slamming into nearby vehicles or hitting pedestrians and bicyclists.
- Securing cargo poorly: Delivery trucks can carry a lot of packages that can easily slip out if they’re improperly secured. Yet, delivery drivers commonly leave doors open on vans and trucks, increasing the risk of packages falling out and causing an accident. After all, motorists will have to take evasive maneuvers to avoid these wayward packages, which could cause them to collide with vehicles around them.
- Speeding: Delivery drivers have a lot of packages to deliver in a short period of time, especially during the holidays. As a result, these drivers sometimes break the speed limit to try to reach their destinations quicker. This significantly increases the risk of them causing a devastating accident that leaves innocent individuals like you in harm’s way.
- Fatigued driving: Long hours during the holiday season render many delivery drivers tired and fatigued. This can increase their reaction time and decrease their ability to multitask. This diminished capacity heightens the chances that they’ll cause a crash.
- Poorly maintaining the vehicle: Although delivery drivers are often responsible for truck accidents, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the truck in question has been poorly inspected and repaired by the driver’s employer. When that’s the case and a safety defect results in an injurious accident, legal action is warranted.
Fight to find accountability for your delivery truck accident
The losses stemming from a delivery truck accident can be significant. Fortunately, you can turn to the legal system for assistance in recovering your losses. But you’ll need to be prepared for a fight, even if you anticipate your case settling through negotiations.
That’s why now is the time to gather evidence to support your claim while also anticipating defense arguments and figuring out how to effectively counter them. If you think you’ll need assistance in doing all of that, then consider what kind of guidance you may need along the way so that you can diligently seek it out to protect your interests throughout the personal injury claims process.