San Diego UPS Truck Accident Lawyer

The huge boom in online shopping may have spelled doom for brick-and-mortar stores, but it has hugely benefitted delivery services such as UPS. With a fleet of over 134,000 delivery trucks, the familiar brown UPS trucks commonly crowd highways and community streets, including in San Diego. UPS reported over 3,000 accidents involving their delivery vehicles in the past 24 months.

UPS trucks are far outsize and outweigh common family vehicles, presenting a serious danger to others on the roadway during an accident. The distress of an accident is bad enough, but making matters worse, the UPS company has a powerful insurance company that commonly disputes claims, making it challenging to recover compensation. For help navigating these challenges, contact a San Diego truck accident attorney.

Common Causes of UPS Delivery Vehicle Accidents

All UPS delivery drivers hold commercial driver’s licenses, receive special training, and undergo safety evaluations so we expect them to be well-trained and experienced; however, there are many reasons that UPS vehicles have accidents, including the following:

• Distracted driving
• Driver fatigue
• Inexperienced drivers
• Speeding to make unrealistic delivery goals
• Unbalanced loads
• Unsafe lane changes due to blind spots
• Wide turn accidents
• Frequent stops, pulling in and out of parking lots and driveways, and reversing
• Inadequate vehicle maintenance

When a UPS driver’s unsafe driving practice, driver error, or recklessness causes an accident, they may be liable for damages. In some cases, the liable party could be the delivery truck contractor, UPS itself, or a negligent delivery truck maintenance company.

Proving Liability in a UPS Truck Accident Case

The UPS company’s insurance carrier provides up to one million dollars per accident for damages, but they also protect company profits—often at the victim’s expense. In comparison negligence insurance states like California, insurance companies can reduce the amount they pay out on a claim by the percentage of fault they assign to the injury victim in the accident. When an accident occurs between a UPS truck that made an illegal right turn on a red light but the driver in the car they hit exceeded the speed limit by five miles per hour, the insurance company could determine that the other driver was 25% at fault for the accident. This reduces a $100,000 compensation claim to a $75,000 payout.

It takes a skilled investigation to protect injury victims against these tactics. Proving liability in a UPS truck accident claim requires showing the following:

• The driver owed a duty of care to take all reasonable measures to prevent causing an accident and injuries
• They breached this duty through negligent or reckless actions
• Their breach of duty directly caused injuries
• The injury victim suffered economic and non-economic damages from the injury

Typical UPS accident claims result in compensation for accident damages such as property damage to a vehicle, medical bills, future medical expenses, lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering.

What Types of Injuries Occur in UPS Accidents in San Diego?

When a UPS truck has an accident with a smaller vehicle, the injuries most commonly occur to the occupants of the smaller vehicle. Common injuries in delivery truck accidents in San Diego include the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Knee injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Wrist injuries
• Internal organ injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Facial injuries
• Traumatic limb loss
• Burns

Injuries are not only painful, they are also expensive. Recovering compensation brings UPS accident victims a sense of justice and financial accountability as well as relieving financial hardship.

Call Haffner & Morgan Today for an Evaluation of Your UPS Accident Case

No one should have to manage a UPS accident claim or lawsuit alone. Experienced legal representation gets the best results against powerful delivery companies and their insurance companies. Contact the San Diego personal injury lawyers at Haffner & Morgan today so we can quickly take action on your behalf.