UPS delivery drivers earn an average of $95,000 per year in wages, and around 330,000 full-time and part-time UPS workers are teamsters. Unlike many delivery companies, UPS does not outsource all of its delivery work to independent contractors. It acts as an employer of many of its drivers.
All of this matters if you become involved in an accident with a driver who works for UPS. These drivers have an obligation to behave reasonably safely behind the wheel, and when they don’t do so, this can result in a civil lawsuit against the driver, against UPS, and potentially against other defendants whose acts or omissions played a role in your harm.
Monge & Associates can represent you if you are taking legal action against UPS after an accident. We understand Virginia laws governing these claims; we know how UPS defends against legitimate cases, and will put our decades of experience to work for you to help you maximize your chances of successfully recovering compensation.
To find out more about how an Arlington personal injury lawyer can help you with your UPS accident, give us a call or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation.
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Injured By A UPS Driver? We Can Help
Injured by a UPS truck in Arlington? Virginia’s strict pure contributory negligence (1% rule) requires immediate legal action. Call Monge & Associates for a free consultation.
How Do UPS Delivery Accidents Happen?
UPS delivery accidents could occur for many different reasons. Some potential causes of these accidents include:
- Speeding: Drivers sometimes push themselves to travel fast to meet quotas or finish work on schedule. Unfortunately, going too fast increases the collision risk and makes any crash that does result more serious due to the added force.
- Distracted driving: Drivers may be looking at their GPS or navigating unfamiliar neighborhoods, increasing the crash risks.
- Drowsy driving: FMCSA regulations limit hours spent on duty without rest breaks, but not all drivers follow the rules or follow best practices for staying safe while operating a vehicle and fatigued.
- Impaired driving: If drivers are intoxicated behind the wheel, this impacts their judgment and reflexes and increases the likelihood of an accident.
- Unbalanced cargo loads: UPS drivers deliver many packages each day. If the trucks are not loaded properly, unbalanced or shifting loads can cause rollover crashes, jackknifing, tire blowouts, or other serious incidents.
- Aggressive driving: When drivers are trying to complete large numbers of deliveries in a short time, they may engage in dangerous aggressive driving behaviors.
- Inadequate truck maintenance: Failure to properly maintain UPS delivery vehicles could lead to tire blowouts and other serious accidents.
- Delivery vehicle defects: In some cases, a problem with the delivery truck itself is the cause of an accident. The vehicle manufacturer or auto parts manufacturers can be held accountable under product liability laws if that is the case.
- Problems with road construction or maintenance: When a problem with the roads is the cause of the accident, victims can take legal action against those responsible for road design or maintenance. Often, this means government entities are implicated, so a special legal process is involved due to sovereign immunity rules.
Monge & Associates will work with you to identify how your accident happened and who was likely to blame. We will work from the first day that we represent you to obtain security camera footage, driver on-duty logs, maintenance records, and other evidence. We’ll also connect you with our network of expert witnesses.
We want to both show that the defendant was at fault and to demonstrate the specifics of how badly you were hurt. Since Virginia follows contributory negligence laws, which can prevent you from recovering compensation if you played a role in causing your own accident, it is essential that you get help from an attorney who understands how to prove causation.
Common Injuries From Delivery Driver Accidents
Certain kinds of injuries are very common after delivery accidents involving UPS drivers. Unfortunately, many UPS delivery vehicles are large and heavy, especially when full of packages. This increases the risk of an accident that injures the driver or others.
Some of the injuries that frequently occur after a crash include:
- Back and neck injuries
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Cuts and bruises
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue injury
- Sprains and strains
You should be fully compensated for both economic and non-financial losses caused by your injuries. But you must prove how badly you were harmed, and you must demonstrate that the injuries were related to the accident if you hope to recover payment.
Who Is Liable For An Accident With A UPS Delivery Driver In Arlington?
A UPS driver who is negligent behind the wheel can be held responsible for the harm that results. But they may not be the only potential defendant. You may also be able to take legal action against:
- UPS itself under vicarious liability laws or based on its own negligence.
- Vehicle parts manufacturers if a vehicle defect causes the incident
- Those responsible for design and maintenance of the roads
Vicarious liability laws make companies responsible for the on-the-job negligence of employees performing work duties. UPS could also be considered negligent if it failed to maintain its fleet in a safe way, did not appropriately train drivers, or failed to conduct pre-employment background checks to ensure its drivers had the right credentials and experience.
Monge & Associates will help you to identify the right legal arguments to make to maximize the chances of recovering full and fair compensation through a successful accident claim.
Contact An Arlington UPS Accident Lawyer Today
Monge & Associates has been representing the injured since 1993, giving us decades of experience in fighting for accident victims. In our many years of fighting for the injured, we have recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients.
We have demonstrated that we know and understand the law and are prepared to bring our extensive legal knowledge to your claim. We also do not charge legal fees unless we win, which means that our interests are aligned.
To find out more about how our firm can fight for justice on your behalf after a collision with a delivery truck, call and schedule a free consultation with an Arlington UPS accident lawyer today.