Delivery trucks are continually driving up and down every highway in the country. An accident with a mail truck is always a daily risk. If your vehicle is severely damaged after a collision with a mail truck, you may be able to claim compensation for the cost of the repair and any other costs such as injury to yourself and anyone else in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
You may find that you will need legal help with a major property damage claim such as repair to the frame of your car. Talk to a car accident lawyer as soon as you can.
Assessing the Cost of Frame Damage After a Mail Truck Collision
Car frames are not as well built as earlier model cars, even though engines are more reliable and driving is more comfortable. Frames can be bent, buckled, crumpled and cracked in any significant collision with a truck.
It is unlikely that a car frame repair would be cheap. In fact, it could cost anything up to ten thousand dollars for a repair that makes the vehicle safe to use again.
In some cases, car frame repair costs make a repair uneconomic and it may be cheaper to replace the vehicle with another instead. This is made even more likely if there are other parts of the car that have been damaged, such as the side panels, doors, lights, windows, bumpers and engine.
Making a Claim Against
You are unlikely to obtain compensation for damage to your car unless you can establish who was at fault. In some cases, this may be obvious and the’ representatives and insurance adjusters may not be able to contest a claim. In other cases, it may be more difficult to establish who was at fault.
In some ways, a claim against a big postal service company is better than against a private individual as the corporation will definitely be adequately insured, whereas an individual driver may not be sufficiently insured to cover frame damage costs. On the other hand, the they will have very effective insurers who will not make a payment if they can challenge the validity of a claim.
Evidence That Could Make or Break an Insurance Claim
A successful insurance claim depends on suitably convincing evidence showing liability. In the event that your car has been badly damaged in a collision with a mail truck, evidence that could determine the result of a claim might include:
- Photographic evidence at the scene of the crash showing the position of the vehicles, the damage done and any marks on the road;
- Witnesses who saw what happened and stopped to render assistance or to wait for the road to clear: take down their contact details and names and if possible, record a statement with your cell phone’s voice recorder;
- The report from the car repair yard that assesses the damage done to the car;
- A police report if police come to the scene. This is likely if anyone was injured or the vehicle damage causes an obstruction to the flow of traffic.
Contact a Lawyer
Frame damage is very expensive to repair and it is important that your claim is properly prepared. It is advisable to contact a lawyer to help you with the paperwork needed to convince the insurance adjuster that the they are liable for the damage bill. Complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page to discuss your potential claim with a lawyer.
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against the USPS, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
