Every day, millions of UPS and FedEx delivery trucks are on the road, delivering our packages right to our doorstep. We see them everyone — on the highway, in our store’s parking lots, and even right down the street. But what happens when you get into an accident with one of these delivery trucks? Who is responsible for your injuries, and is it any different than getting into an accident with an 18-wheeler?
Many people may not realize that getting into a truck accident with a UPS or FedEx truck is just as complicated as a crash with a semi. As with tractor trailer accidents, delivery companies usually dispatch an accident response team immediately after a crash. The team’s job is to collect information at the scene that the delivery truck company can use to support its position in any insurance claims or litigation that might arise from the wreck.
If you are involved in a truck accident with a UPS or FedEx delivery driver in Mississippi, your first step is to contact an experienced Mississippi truck accident lawyer at Giddens Law Firm. We offer free consultations and do not charge a fee unless we win your case.
Why Are Delivery Truck Accidents in Mississippi Often Catastrophic?
Think about the delivery trucks you see daily: a box truck, an extra-large van, a semi-truck, and tractor-trailers. These massive vehicles, especially when packed with cargo, far outweigh typical passenger vehicles, making the matchup in a collision very uneven.
The difference in size and weight makes the impact of a truck accident more dangerous for the car occupants. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 97% of all fatalities in truck accidents are passenger vehicle occupants.
A delivery truck accident can impact multiple people in a split second. The devastating consequences touch every aspect of a victim’s life and can linger for years to come.
A delivery truck accident can quickly become a multicar pileup, leading to numerous victims and harsher injuries. In a multi-car accident, passengers are faced with collisions from every angle: head-on crashes, sideswipe crashes, T-bone collisions, and rear-end car accidents, increasing their chances of serious injuries.
In addition to car occupant injuries, a delivery truck collision can cause widespread property damage. Damage to multiple vehicles and infrastructure around the accident scene can cause significant economic losses and disruptions to daily life in the surrounding community.
Finally, delivery trucks transport various materials, including flammable liquids and toxic chemicals. A crash can cause a spill or leak that threatens public health and the environment.
How Common Are Delivery Truck Accidents?
When we think of delivery trucks, our minds likely go to four major carriers: the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), and Amazon. By all sources available, the most current accident statistics for those delivery services are as follows:
- USPS: Involved in 68 fatal crashes that killed 79 people since 2020.
- UPS: Involved in 2,943 crashes between 2020 and 2022. 72 accidents were fatal, while 1,069 accidents resulted in injuries.
- FedEx: Involved in 1,160 collisions between 2020 and 2022. 109 accidents were fatal.
- Amazon: Because Amazon delivery drivers usually work as independent contractors, it’s difficult to know the exact statistics of their accidents. However, the New York Times reported that Amazon delivery vehicles have been in 60 accidents since June 2015, resulting in 10 deaths.
In 2022, there were nearly 1.8 million truck drivers on the road. That number is likely to increase by 10% between 2022 and 2032. The more delivery trucks on the road, the more likely accidents are to occur. Overall, large truck accidents totaled 523,796 in 2021 alone, up from the year before, which totaled 415,444 accidents across the United States.
Common Causes of Mississippi Delivery Truck Accidents
Delivery trucks, especially larger vehicles, have massive blind spots, which are a leading cause of these types of trucking accidents. Other common causes of delivery truck accidents are:
- Distracted Driving: Delivery drivers often use GPS devices, check delivery schedules, or communicate with dispatch while behind the wheel, leading to dangerous lapses in attention.
- Drowsy Driving: Long hours and pressure to meet delivery deadlines can result in fatigued drivers operating massive vehicles with diminished reaction times.
- Speeding: The rush to complete deliveries on time often leads drivers to exceed safe speeds, particularly in residential areas where many deliveries occur.
- Aggressive Driving: Delivery schedules and traffic congestion can cause drivers to make unsafe lane changes, follow too closely, or fail to yield right of way.
- Blind Spot Accidents: Commercial delivery vehicles have significant blind spots on all four sides, making it difficult to see smaller vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists during turns and lane changes.
- Impaired Driving: Despite strict regulations, some delivery drivers operate vehicles under the influence of substances that impair judgment and reaction time.
- Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Inadequate brake maintenance, worn tires, and other mechanical issues can lead to catastrophic failures on busy Mississippi roads.
- Weather-Related Accidents: Rain, fog, and other adverse weather conditions pose extra challenges for delivery vehicles, whose size and weight make them harder to control.
- Road Condition Hazards: Potholes, uneven surfaces, and construction zones present particular dangers to delivery trucks carrying heavy or unstable loads.
- Improper Loading: Unsecured or poorly distributed cargo can shift during transit, causing drivers to lose control or tip their vehicles.
- Route Unfamiliarity: Delivery drivers often navigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, which can lead to sudden stops, missed turns, and other dangerous maneuvers.
If you’ve been injured in a delivery truck accident caused by these factors, contact Giddens Law Firm today for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.
Can the Delivery Company Be Held Responsible For the Accident?
In short, yes, the delivery company can be held liable for a trucking accident. The company is responsible for having its drivers complete professional training, conducting extensive background checks on their driving records, maintaining their commercial vehicles, and ensuring the delivery truck driver adheres to break times. It could be liable for the crash if it fails to do any of these.
Besides the delivery company, other potential parties could be liable for the accident:
- Delivery Truck Driver: If the delivery driver was negligent and directly caused the accident, he or she can be liable for the crash.
- Cargo Loaders: If the cargo loading crew fails to secure the cargo safely and causes a rollover accident, the crew could be held responsible.
- Vehicle Manufacturer: If a mechanical failure caused the accident, a claim could be brought against the truck manufacturer.
Potential Compensation in a UPS/FedEx Delivery Truck Accident Claim
You can recover three damages in a successful truck accident claim: economic, non-economic, and punitive.
Economic damages are actual, tangible costs associated with your accident. They include medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, and property damage. In wrongful death cases, economic damages may include medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and loss of consortium.
Noneconomic damages do not have physical receipts and are, therefore, harder to calculate. These damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Finally, punitive damages are paid on top of compensatory damages. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate the truck accident victims but to punish the defendant. For such an accident, punitive damages would punish the delivery driver who caused an accident because of a grossly negligent or wrongful act.
Why Choose Giddens Law Firm for Your Mississippi Delivery Truck Accident Case?
Delivery truck accidents can wreak havoc on your life – physically, emotionally, and financially. Working with the right legal representation is essential to navigating the complex legal system and fighting for just compensation. At Giddens Law Firm, we understand the financial burden these accidents can place on victims and their families. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay a cent upfront – we only receive a percentage of your settlement if we win your case.
Truck accident cases can be expensive due to the need for medical consultants, expert witnesses, accident reconstruction specialists, police reports, and investigators. Our Mississippi truck accident attorneys will shoulder the financial burdens throughout the process. We invest in building a rock-solid case that will secure the compensation you deserve. Throughout the case, your only focus should be on your recovery.
Your first consultation is always free. From there, we will stand by your side and fight this battle with you. You aren’t alone in this journey. Call Giddens Law Firm today for expert legal advocates who have your back.