Clearwater Delivery Truck Accidents
Every day in Clearwater streets and throughout Florida, you can see fleets of delivery and cargo trucks from delivery services, including FedEx and UPS, to ensure the timely delivery of packages across the state. Although these delivery trucks are not as huge as other commercial trucks, they can still and do cause devastating injuries to pedestrians and other motorists in the event of a collision. If you’ve suffered injuries in a delivery truck accident, consult a Clearwater delivery truck accident lawyer to learn about your legal rights and options.
Leading Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents in Clearwater
Delivery truck drivers have an immensely stressful and high-pressure job. Usually, they are required to complete routes that include multiple destinations within a workday. They may be required to drive across town multiple times daily to complete all their assigned deliveries. This extreme pressure to finish their routes as quickly as possible could easily result in driver errors or cause delivery truck drivers to drive in a careless or negligent manner by:
- Driving while distracted, which can include texting or using a cellphone, among others
- Speeding or driving too fast without regard for traffic, road, or weather conditions
- Failing to use the appropriate turn signals or not using them at all
- Ignoring safety rules on roadways, particularly those associated with the right of way rules
- Failing to see and respond to traffic lights and signals
Fortunately for injured people, the law will hold delivery truck drivers liable for negligent actions that resulted in a delivery truck accident that injured other road users. However, it will be up to the injured victim to prove that besides operating the delivery truck negligently, the driver’s negligent driving tactics are what caused the accident that injured the victim.
Most Common Delivery Companies
Gone are the days when the mail delivery person brought all your packages to your home. Instead, many other companies are now players in the delivery game, which is needed to accommodate the extreme increase in online shopping in the last decade. Different online stores use different services, and the following are some of the most common delivery companies we see on our highways and in our residential neighborhoods.
Amazon Delivery Trucks
As the second-largest retailer in the world, Amazon has become a logistical wonder, offering same-day or even one-hour deliveries to certain areas of the U.S. Amazon trucks are out on the roads fulfilling online orders at all hours of the day and night, and there is certainly a risk of these delivery trucks being involved in crashes.
Some trucks showing Amazon logos are owned by Amazon, and the drivers are Amazon employees. This means that if a negligent truck driver causes an accident, both the individual driver and Amazon as their employer can be held liable for the harm caused.
However, Amazon is talented at avoiding liability for injuries to consumers, so the company often uses third parties for deliveries, and many companies even started up just to provide deliveries for Amazon. If a truck is owned (and driver employed) by a company other than Amazon, then determining liability can be more complicated, and the company might not have as deep of pockets as Amazon.
FedEx Delivery Trucks
FedEx is one of the largest delivery companies in the world, and its trucks can be seen throughout almost every residential area due to its Home Delivery offshoot. FedEx delivers all types of goods to businesses and homes alike, and everywhere these trucks go, they can be involved in crashes.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in two years, FedEx trucks were involved in more than 1,660 crashes that required a vehicle to be towed away, 851 injury crashes, and 79 fatal crashes.
UPS Delivery Trucks
We all recognize the iconic brown trucks owned and operated by UPS - the United Parcel Service. While these trucks generally bring excitement for the packages about to be delivered to your doorstep, they can also impact lives for the worse when they are involved in a crash. UPS drivers should have proper training to operate the large box trucks in residential areas, though many UPS drivers make mistakes that cause accidents, injuries, and worse.
Reports indicate that in two years, UPS trucks were in 1,734 crashes, 1,011 of which resulted in injuries, and 63 that resulted in fatalities.
USPS Delivery Trucks
These are the traditional delivery vehicles across the United States, and mail deliveries still take place at least six days a week. The United States Postal Service reported that there were 29,000 crashes involving USPS trucks in a recent year, and some common causes included:
- Distraction
- Haste and speeding
- Inexperienced drivers
- Violating safe driving policies
When a USPS driver causes your accident, you need an experienced Clearwater delivery truck accident attorney on your side.
Common Delivery Truck Accident Injuries
Some of the most common injuries resulting from Clearwater delivery truck accidents include:
- Fractures or broken bones
- Whiplash
- Burns
- Spinal, back, or neck injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Brain or head injuries
Besides suffering injuries, you may have also experienced emotional distress from the traumatic accident, lost wages because you couldn’t work while you’re recovering, and/or significant damage to your motor vehicle due to the delivery truck accident. You can recover compensation to cover all these losses if you successfully win a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. When this happens, the negligent delivery truck driver’s auto insurance company and/or the driver’s employer’s insurance provider will compensate you for the damages incurred in your accident.
Speak to a Clearwater Delivery Truck Accident Attorney Today
While you may be rightfully entitled to fair compensation for your losses in a Clearwater delivery truck accident, the large delivery companies that employ delivery truck drivers will make it very difficult for you to obtain fair compensation. To help ensure that you hold all liable parties accountable for your losses and that you’re compensated properly, consult with an experienced Clearwater delivery truck accident attorney about your case.
Your attorney will assess your claims and guide you throughout the legal process. Get in touch with Tragos, Sartes, & Tragos by filling out our online form or calling us at (727) 441-9030 to arrange your free case review.