With the skyrocketing of online retail, large brown UPS trucks have become common sights congesting highways and lumbering through communities. While we depend on goods delivered by UPS, the size and weight of UPS trucks and delivery vans place vulnerable motorists in smaller vehicles at great risk. In accidents involving private vehicles and commercial trucks, 70% of injuries occur to those in the smaller vehicles.
Common Causes of UPS Truck Accidents In South Carolina
UPS drivers have tight schedules and often operate with unobtainable delivery goals. They also use navigational apps while driving and experience other distractions. Common causes of UPS truck accidents in South Carolina include:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving
- Frequent stops and reverses
- Traffic violations such as failing to yield the right of way
- Unsafe lane changes and improper merging
- Unbalanced loads or improperly secured cargo
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Defective parts
- Driver fatigue
- Driver impairment
After a UPS truck accident in South Carolina, it’s critical to identify the cause of the accident and make a compelling case for liability. In fault-based insurance states like South Carolina, the injury victim has the burden of proving the at-fault party’s liability for a successful compensation claim. This can be a challenging endeavor against a large company like UPS.
Liability for Injuries In Connecticut UPS Truck Accidents
UPS doesn’t use independent contractors as drivers to protect themselves from direct liability the way many other delivery services and online retailers do. Instead, UPS drivers are direct employees. An injury victim in a UPS accident files a claim directly against the UPS company which self-insures its drivers.
Proving liability requires an injury victim to show the following:
- That the driver or company owed a duty of care to the injury victim
- They breached this duty through negligence
- Their breach of duty directly caused the accident and injuries, and
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
Because UPS trucks are heavy and outsize passenger vehicles, injury victims may suffer life-altering injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, fractures, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, or injuries to the back, neck, shoulder, knees, and wrists. Serious lacerations and abrasions also occur in accidents.
What Damages Can I Recover In a UPS Truck Accident Claim?
Filing a claim against UPS can result in significant Sumter truck accident compensation for the losses an injury victim suffers after a serious accident. With experienced legal representation, common damages recovered include the following:
- Property damage costs
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and future income loss
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for emotional damages such as PTSD
- Compensation for damages that sometimes apply in individual cases such as disfigurement, loss of limb, the loss of an organ, or diminished quality of life due to disability
- Wrongful death benefits if a loved one died in a UPS truck accident
In some cases, an injury victim can seek punitive damages if the actions of the truck driver were egregious, such as in drunk driving or road rage cases.
Call the UPS Truck Accident Attorneys at Marc Brown Law Firm
UPS is a powerful company that may protect profits at your expense by disputing, delaying, or denying valid claims. In fault-based insurance states, they may try to shift liability to you if you don’t have substantial evidence, a well-executed claim, and an assertive negotiator on your side. Call Marc Brown Law Firm for a free evaluation of your UPS truck accident case so we can move forward on obtaining the full and fair compensation you deserve.