Large brown UPS vans and trucks are familiar sights maneuvering through Austin neighborhoods and speeding along Texas highways. As much as we’ve grown to rely on UPS delivery service, these fully-loaded trucks and vans present serious safety hazards to smaller vehicles in an accident. In the last two years, UPS has reported 2,466 accidents involving its delivery vehicles.
After a UPS accident with injuries, an injury victim seeking to recover compensation for their damages may feel overwhelmed by the idea of filing a claim against a mega-company like UPS. Fortunately, an injury victim has options when they’re facing significant damages.
With a reputation for excellence, Shaw Cowart has some of the best truck accident lawyers in Austin that provide aggressive legal representation to injury victims. They take on powerful insurance companies and corporations, ensuring their clients have the best possible chance of obtaining the compensation they deserve.
Common Causes of UPS Accidents In Austin
UPS drivers often face unrealistic delivery schedules, which may result in speeding, aggressive driving, and tired drivers behind the wheel. Common causes of UPS truck accidents include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe lane changes
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Frequent stops and starts
- Reversing accidents
- Tailgating
- Unbalanced or improperly secured cargo
- Wide turns
- Fatigued driving
- Intoxicated driving
Any of the above actions constitute negligence on the part of the UPS driver. In some cases, the UPS company may be at fault, for instance, for hiring an unqualified driver or under-training a driver. In other cases, the fault lies with the manufacturer of a defective truck part. An injury victim must provide compelling evidence of fault to prove liability in a UPS truck accident claim.
Liability In UPS Accident Claims In Austin
Many of today’s delivery services use independent contractors to deliver goods to avoid direct liability in an accident. Instead, UPS carries its own liability insurance and hires employees as delivery drivers. After a UPS accident, an injury victim may file a claim for their damages directly against UPS; however, UPS is a powerful company, and its insurance company does not pay out on claims without significant evidence of the truck driver’s liability. Proving liability requires an investigation to determine the careless or reckless action that led to the accident. If a UPS driver or an inadequately maintained UPS truck caused the accident, a successful claim must show compelling evidence of the following:
- The responsible party owed a duty of care to others on the road
- They breached this duty through negligence
- The negligent breach of duty directly caused the accident and injuries
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
An experienced truck accident attorney thoroughly investigates and sends a demand package to the insurance company with evidence of the UPS company’s auto liability insurance, along with a carefully calculated list of damages.
What Damages Can I Recover In an Austin UPS Accident Claim?
Serious truck accident injuries in Austin cause damages to add up quickly due to the economic losses injury victims experience. A successful claim recovers damages such as the following:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future income loss
- Lowered earning ability due to disability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
In some cases, additional damages apply, such as loss of limb, disfigurement, scarring, PTSD, diminished quality of life, or wrongful death benefits to a close surviving family member.
How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer In Austin Help Me?
A UPS truck accident claim requires careful navigation for an injured motorist to recover the compensation they deserve. If you’ve experienced significant injuries in an accident caused by a UPS truck, contact an Austin-based car accident lawyer at Shaw Cowart today for a free consultation so we can begin strategizing your recovery with no cost to you until after we settle or win your case.