For many Woodland Hills residents, the ease of online shopping has saved them time, money, and the stress of navigating crowded parking lots (read about parking lot accidents here) and busy retail stores. As online shopping becomes more of the norm, the number of commercial delivery trucks involved in auto accidents also increases. If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident caused by a delivery truck, speak with an experienced Woodland Hills accident lawyer about your legal rights.
Take UPS, for example. The shipping giant now boasts nearly 100,000 delivery trucks that operate 7 days a week. The 60,000 or so employed drivers log almost 900 million miles a year behind the wheel. And UPS is not the only one. Many retailers have ramped up their delivery services, meaning more trucks on the road and more trucking accidents.
Leading causes of delivery truck accidents
Some of the leading causes of delivery truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding or driving recklessly in order to meet deadlines
- Distractions or inattention, such as texting and driving
- Failure to perform maintenance
- Driving while under the influence
- Improperly loaded trucks
- Lack of driver training
This list is not exhaustive. Whatever the cause behind the truck driver’s negligence, if you or a loved one were harmed in a truck accident, know that California law is on your side.
How do I file an injury claim against a delivery truck?
If you are hit by a commercial truck, your lawsuit will proceed similar to a standard car accident claim, with a few differences. One big difference is that you and your attorney may decide to sue more than one party. For example, you may want to sue the driver and the business who employed the driver, particularly if the driver was on-duty. However, the person in charge is often not obviously clear in delivery truck accident cases. In many cases, commercial trucking involves a situation where person A owns the truck and hires person B to drive the truck, who then leases the truck to person C to deliver goods for company D. As you can see, depending on the circumstances of your accident and the business relationship between the parties, you may end up suing three or four additional parties.
In an accident involving a delivery truck, you can see that it is very important to hire an attorney experienced in handling accident claims against employers. In order to recover the maximum financial compensation available to you, you will need to make sure you have involved all relevant parties in the lawsuit.
To discuss your delivery truck accident case, contact the knowledgeable Woodland Hills accident attorney Barry P. Goldberg today.
