Delivery Truck Accidents: How to Hold Companies Like Amazon and UPS Accountable

Next-day and same-day delivery services have made delivery trucks an everyday presence on major roads and neighborhood streets throughout Florida. Unfortunately, this means that accidents involving delivery trucks are now a regular occurrence. If you have been injured in a collision involving a delivery truck, you have clear legal rights, and you should hire an experienced Florida truck accident lawyer to help you hold the delivery company accountable.

How do you hold companies like Amazon and UPS accountable for injuries you sustained in a delivery truck accident? Here’s what you need to know:

What To Do After a Delivery Truck Accident in Florida

As with any type of motor vehicle accident, if you have been injured in a delivery truck accident in Florida, there are some important steps you should try to take right away. For example, to help protect your legal rights, you should:

1. Prioritize Your Medical Care

The first thing you should do is prioritize your medical care. If you have not done so already, you should see a doctor right away—go to the emergency room or an urgent care clinic if you can’t get an appointment with your doctor. Along with helping to ensure that you do not experience any unnecessary long-term complications, this is also important for the following reasons:

• Your medical records will be key evidence linking your injuries to the accident (as long as you seek treatment in time).
• If you ignore your symptoms or injuries, the insurance companies may be able to use this against you in your truck accident claim.
• The extent, severity and long-term effects of your injuries will all be key factors for determining how much you are entitled to recover for the accident.

Once you receive a diagnosis, you should follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations (or seek a second opinion, if necessary). This is also important for protecting both your health and your legal rights, as ignoring your doctor’s treatment recommendations can give the insurance companies an excuse to dispute your claim for full compensation.

2. Write Down Everything You Can Remember as Soon as Possible

As soon as you are able to do so, you should write down everything you can remember about your delivery truck accident. For example, if possible, you should write down details such as:

• Details About the Delivery Truck – Which company’s logo was on the truck? Did you notice any issues with the truck’s condition (i.e., damage from previous collisions or bald tires)? Did the truck driver say anything after the accident?
• Details About the Accident Scene – What were the weather and road conditions? How was traffic? Were there any traffic signs or signals in the vicinity of the crash? Does anything else stand out about the location where the crash occurred?
• Details About the Events Leading Up to the Crash – Which direction were you traveling? Which direction was the delivery truck traveling? Was the delivery truck driver driving erratically? Did the delivery truck driver run a red light or stop sign (or fail to yield the right of way)?

The more details you can record, the better. Being prepared to provide your lawyer with as much information as possible will help ensure that he or she can investigate all potential sources of financial recovery.

3. Be Sure to Keep All Photos, Videos and Other Documentation

If you were able to take any photos or videos at the crash site, you should keep these to share with your lawyer. Likewise, if you received a copy of the police report or were able to collect contact information from any witnesses, you should keep these to share with your lawyer as well. Going forward, as you receive medical records, employment records, and other documents that are relevant to your claim, you should keep these in a file so that you have them available if needed.

4. Start Keeping Track of Your Losses

In addition to keeping relevant documents, you should also start tracking your accident-related losses. This includes not only financial losses (i.e., medical expenses, other out-of-pocket costs, and lost wages), but non-financial losses as well. If you can take notes or videos to document your daily pain, suffering, and emotional trauma, this will go a long way toward helping your lawyer prove the total damages you are entitled to recover.

5. Hire a Law Firm to Investigate the Accident

Speaking of your lawyer, you should hire a law firm to investigate the accident right away. It is critical to preserve any forensic evidence at the crash site before it disappears. From the truck driver’s phone records and driving log to the delivery truck’s maintenance records and “black box” data, your law firm may need to gather various other forms of evidence as well.

6. Let Your Law Firm Deal with the Insurance Companies

Once you hire a law firm to represent you, you should let your law firm deal with the insurance companies on your behalf. When you have a personal injury claim after a delivery truck accident, you need to be very careful to avoid saying or doing anything that could jeopardize your financial recovery. If you let your law firm speak on your behalf, you can be confident that you aren’t jeopardizing your claim.

7. Make Informed Decisions About When (and If) to Settle

Finally, as your case progresses, you will need to be prepared to make informed decisions about when (and if) to settle. While most successful delivery truck accident cases settle, there are no guarantees. You need to make sure you understand the value of your claim based on the specific details of your case, and you need to make informed decisions with your long-term best interests in mind.

Discuss Your Case Against Amazon or UPS with a Florida Truck Accident Lawyer at Searcy Denney

Do you have a case against Amazon, UPS, or another delivery company in Florida? To find out, contact us for a free consultation today. To discuss your legal rights with an experienced Florida truck accident lawyer at Searcy Denney as soon as possible, call us at 800-780-8607 or tell us how we can get in touch online now.