FedEx Truck Accidents: Recovering Damages
People regularly rely on delivery services, like FedEx, to distribute goods and supplies. On any given day, drivers are likely to see FedEx trucks traveling on highways, city roads, or neighborhood streets. FedEx drivers are meant to undergo training and follow strict safety protocols, but FedEx truck accidents still happen.
Individuals who are injured in delivery truck accidents are likely to suffer extensive damages, including financial losses. Determining who is liable for collision damages can be complex, but the truck accident lawyers at Chanfrau & Chanfrau are prepared to assist drivers in the Daytona Beach, FL, and Palm Coast, FL, area in pursuing the financial compensation they are due after a delivery truck crash.
Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents
There are many different factors that can contribute to a delivery truck accident. Potential causes of delivery truck accidents include inclement weather, poor road conditions, improperly loaded cargo, and mechanical failures. However, as with other types of vehicle crashes, the most common cause of FedEx truck accidents is driver error.
Delivery drivers are under a lot of pressure to make deliveries quickly so that they get all their packages delivered before their shift is over. In an attempt to meet strict deadlines, drivers may make careless mistakes. Reckless or negligent driving practices that can result in a delivery truck accident include:
- Speeding
- Driving while distracted
- Failing to yield when merging back into traffic
- Neglecting to set the parking brake when exiting the truck for a delivery
- Missing a delivery point and reversing without checking for surrounding traffic
- Failing to adhere to posted traffic signs or lights
- Driving while fatigued
Establishing Accident Liability
To determine who is liable for accident damages, it is necessary to know what caused the collision. Unfortunately, even if a delivery driver makes a blatant error that seems to be the cause of the crash, they and their employer are unlikely to admit fault. Therefore, to establish accident liability, injury victims should consider working with truck accident lawyers, such as those at our Daytona Beach law firm. Our lawyers work alongside experts in the field to gather evidence, recreate the details of a crash, and demonstrate liability.
FedEx Truck Accidents and Vicarious Liability
If a delivery truck driver is responsible for causing a FedEx truck accident, as is often the case, they may be held liable for accident damages. However, accident victims may also be due financial compensation from FedEx, or whichever company employs the delivery truck driver.
Vicarious liability is a legal concept that holds employers responsible for their employees’ negligent actions, as long as the employee was within the scope of their employment at the time. Essentially, this means that if a delivery truck driver commits an action that results in an accident, and they do so while they are performing their work duties, then their employer is responsible for the resulting consequences, or damages.
In addition to vicarious liability, trucking companies can be held liable if their own neglect resulted in a truck accident. Trucking companies may be responsible if they breached their duty of care by:
- Neglecting proper hiring practices (such as running background checks)
- Neglecting to provide adequate training
- Failing to provide appropriate supervision
- Neglecting to perform routine truck maintenance
Accident Damages
Delivery truck accident victims have the right to go after liable parties for the full extent of physical, emotional, and financial accident damages. Depending on the specifics of each situation, potential areas of compensation include:
- Medical expenses (current and future)
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been injured in a FedEx truck accident, the lawyers at Chanfrau & Chanfrau can help you establish liability so that responsible parties can be held accountable for damages. To discuss your crash with our truck accident attorneys, contact us online, or call our law firm at (386) 258-7313.