Each year, more and more Texans are shopping online and ordering items to be delivered right to their doorsteps. Whether it’s clothing, pet food, electronics, or groceries, these deliveries have timelines that must be met by delivery truck drivers. This means a significant increase in delivery trucks on the roads. More South Texas drivers are sharing the roads with delivery trucks every day on their commutes. With this increase in traffic has come an increase in accidents involving delivery trucks in South Texas.
In January of this year, two people were hospitalized after an Amazon delivery truck fell off a highway in San Antonio. Traffic had to be diverted for hours, as the crash left debris scattered at the scene and severe road damage. Both the driver and co-pilot were taken to a hospital for their injuries and thankfully no other vehicles were involved. This was not the case in January of 2018 when two men were killed in a crash involving a FedEx truck. The FedEx truck rear-ended a passenger vehicle that was slowing down on I-35 and pushed it to the side of the road. That passenger vehicle then caught fire, killing the men inside. In another accident involving a delivery truck in Corpus Christi, a FedEx truck crashed through the wall of a Southside home, sending the driver and residents of the home to the hospital. The driver was carelessly reaching for a package when he veered off the road and slammed into an elderly couple’s home. South Texas residents are seeing these accidents more and more often and must know what to do if they are involved in an accident with a delivery truck.
Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents
There are many common causes of delivery truck accidents. Delivery trucks are oddly shaped vehicles with many blind spots. Many drivers cannot see properly behind or to the side of their trucks and could easily change lanes without noticing a vehicle next to them. There is also a complicated system of technology that tracks deliveries made by trucks. This can distract a delivery truck driver and cause them to veer or swerve while trying to find an address for their next delivery. Many delivery drivers are on a timeline and will drive aggressively to get to their next destination, which can include speeding, making dangerous turns or lane changes, and driving through red lights. Distracted driving and impaired driving are also common causes of delivery truck accidents. Lastly, many delivery truck services have unrealistic work schedules for their drivers. Driving in the very early hours of the morning or very late at night can cause drivers who have not gotten enough rest to fall asleep at the wheel and cause devastating accidents.
Steps To Take After a Texas Truck Accident
The first step to take after any vehicular accident is to seek medical treatment immediately for any injuries you or anyone involved in the accident have sustained. Many injuries will not appear until a few days if not weeks after the accident occurs, and having a medical evaluation will be essential to your recovery. After the accident, if you are able to, call emergency services or the police to come to the scene of the crash. Evidence will be very important to gather to prove liability after a car accident occurs. If physically able to, take pictures and video of the accident site, as well as your injuries, to document what happened. Ask the truck driver for their identification and insurance information. If they are unable or unwilling to provide this information, you can obtain it from the police report. Try to write down your side of what happened during the accident soon after it occurs, including everything you can remember seeing and hearing. If you noticed the driver was on a phone or driving erratically, those are important details to document.
In an accident with a delivery truck, the details will be important because the process of seeking compensation for your injuries can be more complicated than in car accidents between two or more passenger vehicles. Many of the delivery trucks delivering packages for FedEx, Amazon, UPS, etc. are owned and operated by third-party contractors that use third-party vans or trucks. Just because a law enforcement officer says the delivery truck that hit you is at fault may not necessarily mean that you can expect financial compensation from the big companies providing the delivery service – especially without the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer. Since many private companies work under contract agreements with delivery companies to deliver packages, boxes, and mail, having a South Texas delivery truck accident attorney on your side will be critical to ensuring you are compensated for your injuries.
So who is at fault after an accident with a delivery truck? Determining fault can be difficult; however, an experienced truck accident attorney will find out who is liable for your injuries and hold them accountable. The liable party may be FedEx, Amazon, UPS, and/or other delivery services who have a duty of care to protect the public. The liable parties can also include the delivery vehicle driver, the delivery vehicle owner, the vehicle manufacturer, the loading department, or other parties. If the delivery driver made a mistake while delivering packages – including falling asleep at the wheel, being impaired, or using their smartphone while driving – they can be held liable for your injuries. The owner of the vehicle may be held liable if they did not maintain the vehicle properly, which caused the truck to malfunction and not operate safely. If the truck was not loaded in an appropriate, balanced way that allows for the safe transport of goods, those hazardous conditions can cause a truck rollover. The loading department could be liable for individuals injured in that type of accident. In all cases, finding a trustworthy and experienced truck crash attorney is the best way to ensure you are compensated fairly for your injuries.
John Flood: Texas Lawyer For Accidents Involving Delivery Trucks
If you have been injured in a South Texas delivery truck accident, call us at (361) 654-8877 for a free case evaluation today. We know how stressful and complicated the time period after an accident can be and our team will work hard to fight for fair compensation for your injuries.
