Delivery Truck Accident Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyers / Truck Accident Lawyer / Delivery Truck Accidents

Our Delivery Truck Accident Attorneys Will Fight For Your Rights

It's not hard to imagine why a collision between a passenger vehicle and a delivery truck can be a horrifying and hugely damaging incident. Even a relatively small truck is significantly larger and heavier than a passenger vehicle, which puts the members of the smaller vehicle at great risk if a truck accident does occur. In fact, data shows that in accidents between trucks and passenger vehicles, the driver and occupants of the truck are far less likely to be hurt.

If you or a loved one has experienced the trauma of a delivery truck accident, a delivery truck accident lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys is here to help. There's no way to undo the pain you've experienced, but there is a way to seek both justice and compensation for your suffering. Our truck accident lawyers will fight tirelessly to protect your rights in the wake of your accident. Contact us today to set up your free initial consultation, and remember: at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, you don't pay unless you win.

Is the Truck Company Liable for the Crash?

Truck accidents are inherently complicated — between determining fault and navigating an overwhelming insurance system, it can feel like a lot to take on. But this process becomes far, far more complex when one of the vehicles involved is a delivery truck, particularly if it's a delivery truck for a large company.

When your accident involves a company's delivery truck, that means the company as a whole is involved as well. Large companies like Amazon have a seemingly infinite amount of money and resources that they can use to skirt payouts and avoid fault. Fedex, for example, has business automobile liability insurance with a $5 million combined single limit. Companies like this have powerful legal teams on their side who may even try to pressure you into admitting fault or accepting a settlement that's far too low.

In fact, it's not uncommon to receive a call from the company's insurance carrier as soon as the day after the accident, or even the day of. They may try to take advantage of the fact that you're shaken and vulnerable so soon after the incident. It's important to involve a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible so that all communication between you, the delivery company, and their insurer is mediated by your attorney.

What's more, the question of fault becomes more complicated when a delivery truck is involved. For one, if the delivery truck driver is an independent contractor (as some are), the company they're driving for may try to claim it has no responsibility over the truck accident.

And beyond that, there are a far greater number of parties who may be liable for a truck accident. These include:

• The individual delivery driver. If they exhibited some form of negligence, like texting while driving or general recklessness, the accident may be the driver's fault.
• The company. The fault may belong to the delivery company as a whole. For instance, if the company failed to adequately train the driver, the company may be liable for the accident. The company is responsible for its drivers and their actions, so if they put an unprepared driver on the road or otherwise skirted their responsibilities, they could be at fault.
• A third party. In some cases, the fault belongs neither to the driver nor the company. For example, if the accident occurred because the truck was improperly loaded, the party who failed to do this work correctly may be responsible. If there was a mechanical failure that could have been foreseen, the last person who inspected the truck and wrongly gave it a passing grade could potentially be liable. It's even possible that the manufacturer of the goods on the delivery truck is liable if the goods themselves in some way caused or influenced the accident.

Discovering where the fault lies — either the individual driver, the company, another party, or a combination of all three — is a crucial piece of information in pursuing your case. For all of these reasons, it's wise not to tackle a case like this without the aid of an experienced delivery truck accident attorney. We have decades of experience taking on big companies via truck accidents, and we have the skills and proven track record to win this fight for you.

What Causes a Delivery Truck Crash to Occur?

Thanks to the pandemic, there is a growing number of delivery trucks on our roadways. Companies such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx, along with smaller commercial vehicles such as Grubhub, Uber, and DoorDash, are flooding our streets and making it difficult to drive. Some common causes of delivery truck accidents revolve around driver error, such as distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and aggressive driving.

Other causes that are unique to a truck crash involving a delivery truck include:

• Frequent and unexpected stops. Delivery trucks make frequent and consistent stops throughout the day, delivering packages and dropping off goods. These frequent stops may play a role in causing accidents, as it may mean the trucks stops at a time other drivers don't expect. It may also mean the truck changes lanes more frequently than an average vehicle, which inherently increases the risk of a truck accident.
• Larger blind spots. By nature of their design, delivery trucks have much larger blind spots than passenger vehicles. This combined with a frequent need to change lanes can lead to a crash. Improperly secured loads can also be problematic, as goods can slide off or out of the truck and into traffic.
• Mechanical failure. Mechanical failures can also contribute to or cause delivery truck accidents. This may include issues with the crucial components of the vehicle, such as poorly maintained brakes, faulty tires, or a defective steering system.

However, there are cases where the cause of the accident was a result of a trucking company's negligence, such as poor training of the driver or not regularly maintaining the vehicle. In order to learn the cause of your crash and protect your case, it's best to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

What Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Recommend I Do After an Accident?

According to the American Trucking Associations, commercial trucks make up 14.1 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States and 38.9 million trucks are registered for business purposes. With so many trucks on the road, including delivery trucks, it's important to know what to do to protect your rights after an accident with a delivery truck driver:

• Seek medical care. If you are injured in any way, or if you think you may be, seeking medical care should be your first priority. Remember that sometimes the adrenaline rush of an accident can mask serious injuries, so check yourself thoroughly. You should also keep an eye out in the coming days and weeks for any discomfort that sets in, such as whiplash.
• Call the police. It's important to call the police after an accident, even (and especially) if the other party involved tries to convince you not to. Someone who causes an accident in a work vehicle may be scared of potential repercussions and may encourage you to settle the matter without calling law enforcement, but this is not a good idea. Calling the police to the scene ensures there will be an official record of what happened. This will be a crucial piece of evidence for you and your lawyer as you go about pursuing a settlement.
• Document the scene. Every piece of evidence you gather at the scene can be helpful as you make your case later on. This includes the position of the vehicles, the damage to the vehicles, any visible injuries, and more. Even if you see that the police are documenting the scene themselves, you should take your own photos and notes as well.
• Exchange information with the other party or parties. You should talk to the delivery truck driver and exchange information. This includes name, number, email address, insurance company information, and insurance policy number. Remember that you'll want to limit contact to this exchange of information. Things you say at the scene can potentially later be taken out of context and twisted by the other party's legal team, so keep it short and to the point.
• Report the accident to your insurance company. It's extremely important to report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. The details of how your insurance company will be involved depend on the state — for example, Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, which means that your own insurance covers your medical care. In an at-fault state, the party that caused the accident pays for the other party's medical care. But in all states, letting your insurance company know an accident has occurred — and that the other party is a delivery driver for a specific company — is crucial. If you wait too long, they may deny coverage.
• Call our attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. It's important to get a delivery truck accident lawyer involved as soon as possible. Even in a no-fault state like Pennsylvania, you may need to file a personal injury suit against the other party if your injuries are severe. Especially in a case like this, time is of the essence. Reach out to Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys as soon as possible to make sure you're getting fairly compensated, whether through insurance or a personal injury suit if needed.

What Compensation is Available After a Trucking Accident?

When you work with Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, you can rest assured that he or she will examine every last detail of your case to make sure you receive fair and adequate compensation. You should not lose a dime because of something as horrible as a delivery truck accident happening to you. That said, the compensation you receive depends heavily on the specifics of your case — the extent of your injuries, your lost wages, and more — so it can be difficult to give a general estimate. However, there are certain areas that will most likely be covered via compensation.

Compensation is divided into economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses are those that have a specific calculable value. These include:

• Your medical bills
• The cost of physical or psychological therapy
• Lost wages
• A lowered future earning capacity

However, there are also non-economic losses that are not so simply calculated. An accident can cause a great deal of general pain and suffering, which, while not as simply calculated, absolutely deserves compensation. These types of losses include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

An attorney that has handled cases like this will know how to put a fair and satisfactory number to something like your pain and suffering, which both adequately meets your needs and is attainable in the context of a settlement.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Insurance Company is Calling Me. What Should I Do?

Whenever there is a truck accident, it's inevitable that the truck company's insurance company will be calling you to learn more about your injuries and how the accident happened. During the phone call, the insurance adjuster may say they want the call recorded or will ask if you have spoken to a truck accident attorney yet. What you need to remember is you do not have to speak with the at-fault party's insurance company. Instead, let our delivery truck accident attorneys handle the insurance company for you.

I Received Minor Injuries. Should I Still Call a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Any time you're in a motor vehicle accident and you're not sure what your next steps should be, it's always a smart idea to contact our attorneys. That's what the free consultation is for — it gives you a chance to learn what your rights are and how much your claim can be worth. It will also give you peace of mind knowing what you should be doing and whether you're doing the right thing.

Why Work with a Truck Accident Law Firm?

Experiencing a collision of any kind is traumatic and overwhelming. There is simply no way around that. But here at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, it is our goal to bear a bit of your struggle for you. We aim to do this by providing you with excellent legal counsel and a team that will support you every step of the way. What's more, our firm has particularly extensive experience handling — and winning — truck accident cases. We received many satisfactory settlements we have secured for truck accident victims.

The best thing you can do for yourself in the wake of an accident is to surround yourself with the best team you possibly can. This means doctors that will give you the medical care you need, friends, family members, and loved ones that can help you through your recovery, and of course a stellar legal team that will make sure justice is served. Allow us to take on the work of fighting for your rightful compensation so that you can focus on getting your life back.

Our team of delivery truck accident lawyers and legal support staff is waiting to hear from you, and remember, you don't pay a cent unless you win. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation and take the first step down your path to justice.