If you have been involved in an accident with a mail delivery driver, you should basically follow all the same procedures that you would with any other accident.
First, check to see if anyone is injured. If so, call an ambulance. The next step is to call the police to have an accident report completed. The responding police officer will investigate the crash to determine what went wrong. The officer will usually indicate fault in the accident report.
Use your smartphone to take photos of the accident scene, the damages to the vehicles, and any visible injuries. You should seek medical care as quickly as possible to document any injuries that you suffered.
Maintain Documentation and Records
You have most likely suffered damages because of the accident. You will need to maintain documentation that shows the damages that you suffered. As an example, you will need to get written repair estimates from a qualified auto body repair shop to show the costs of fixing your vehicle.
You will also need to keep copies of medical records and medical bills, proof of lost wages, and documentation for any events or activities that you missed or could not participate in. You will need a copy of the accident report and copies of any eyewitness statements.
Determining Which Damages You Suffered
You could suffer many different damages because of a crash with a driver. Some common damages include property damages, past and future medical costs, lost wages, decreased enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, permanent scarring, long-term disabilities, loss of consortium, mental anguish, and so forth.
All your damages must be claimed at one time because additional claims cannot be made later.
Proving Negligence
When you can show the driver acted negligently, you can have a successful personal injury claim. There are four elements of negligence – a duty, a breach of that duty, causation, and then damages. If you can show the truck driver breached his or her duty while behind the wheel, the rest can easily be proven.
That breach could have been failing to stay in the proper lane of traffic, speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, running a traffic light, or driving while distracted. If you can show any of those things or something similar, you can prove that the driver breached his or her duty and that caused an accident. You will then need to show that the accident resulted in the damages that you suffered.
Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been involved in a crash with a driver, you should speak with a personal injury attorney. To get your claim on the right track, complete the Free Case Evaluation Form. A lawyer will review your case and determine the best way for you to proceed. Now is the time to get your claim underway because a statute of limitations does apply.
Additional Resources
- How Can I File a PI Claim Against FedEx?*
- PI Claim for a Crash at an Intersection with a FedEx Vehicle*
*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 FedEx, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
