A Delivery Truck Damaged Your Property—Now What?
Deliveries have increased significantly over the past several years. While that means a great deal of convenience as items come straight to your home, it can also bring an unexpected risk of delivery trucks damaging your property. Medium and heavy trucks, including delivery vehicles, caused an estimated 421 non-incapacitating accidents in Florida in 2018.
Whether you're in Daytona Beach or Palm Beach, FL, the steps are the same. The truck accident lawyers at Chanfrau & Chanfrau can help. How can you pursue compensation when a delivery truck damages your property during a delivery? Here are a few helpful tips.
Step One: Gather the Evidence
If you're lucky, the delivery driver will come to you and report their error immediately after it occurs. You'll have a chance to get their insurance information, learn what coverage they have, and discuss what happened. Sometimes, however, you might not be that lucky. The driver might not even realize that they have caused damage, especially in a large delivery truck. They might be in a hurry, or not want to have the accident on their record.
You can still collect evidence that can help you.
If You Witness the Incident
If you witnessed the incident, try to collect information from the delivery truck. Snap a photo, if you can. You may need to know the license plate number, if possible. Don't have time to snap a picture of the license plate or can't see it because of the truck's position? You may be able to identify it by contacting the carrier.
If You Do Not Witness the Accident
Collect what evidence you can, in spite of the fact that you didn't see the accident until well after the fact. Do you, like around 30 percent of American homeowners, have a security camera? If so, it may have captured the incident.
If you didn't catch a glimpse of who caused the damage to your property, you may still have the ability to pursue compensation. Consider what deliveries have come to your home. Which carriers were there? Most trucks are equipped with GPS trackers. That means that their companies can tell where the truck is, what time it was there, and in some cases even that the truck was involved in a collision. A lawyer can contact the company, show evidence of the accident, and seek data directly from the company.
Don't forget to calculate the cost of the property damaged by the delivery truck, either by the value of the property itself or the cost of repairs. This will allow you to ask for the compensation you deserve.
Step Two: Contact a Property Damage Attorney
An attorney can offer vital assistance as you manage your property damage claim. Not only can an attorney help pursue the information you need to get compensation you deserve, your attorney can work with you and negotiate a favorable pre-trail settlement.
With an attorney on your side, you may maximize the compensation you can recover for serious property damage after a delivery driver's negligent driving caused damage around your home.
Did You Suffer Property Damage Due to the Negligent Actions of a Delivery Driver?
If so, Chanfrau & Chanfrau can help. Contact our law firm online or call our Daytona Beach office at (386) 258-7313 to learn more about your rights following property damage.