Can I Sue UPS?
UPS is a messenger company in the US and around the globe. Though it is a large company, it is still responsible for its drivers and commercial trucks. According to statistics from 2012, UPS drivers have reportedly been involved in 1,448 crashes which led to 541 injuries and 39 deaths. When a UPS driver is responsible for an accident, the driver and the company may also be responsible for the resulting damages and injuries. If you have been injured by a UPS vehicle, you may be able to sue the company for damages. Contact our truck accident lawyers in Sacramento to get started.
Suing UPS
Claims made against a commercial trucking company like UPS are similar to claims made against the driver of a personal car. However, one important difference between these two cases is that you must determine who you will sue. In a regular car accident, in most cases, you will sue the driver of the car who caused the collision. When a commercial vehicle is involved in an accident, there are usually a number of people and entities you may be able to sue. However, not all of them may be appropriate defendants in the case.
Commercial trucking can involve a complicated system where one person owns the truck, another is hired to driver the truck, or the truck is leased or sub-leased to another company. Though UPS owns their own trucks and employs their own drivers, they may not take responsibility for their driver’s actions.
Typically, though, employers are liable for the negligent actions of their employees if the employees were acting in the course of their job during the time of the accident. If the company directly employs their drivers, they are responsible for them and may be sued for the driver’s actions while on the job. Therefore, if a UPS driver is making deliveries and hits and injures a person, the company may be held liable.
UPS could also be liable for the actions of their employee if UPS did not properly hire or train the worker. According to the UPS job description for drivers, the company requires a valid driver’s license issued by the state as well as excellent customer contact and driving skills, including the ability to operate a vehicle equipped with a standard or manual transmission. UPS states that all UPS employees typically work for the company for four to 12 years before becoming a driver. If the company can prove that the driver was properly trained but still acted outside of the company’s policies, the driver may be ruled liable as opposed to the company.
When determining who to sue, the cause of the accident is extremely important. If the driver was at fault for failing to yield to a pedestrian, it is a different matter than if the accident occurred because of mechanical problems in the truck. No matter what the cause of the accident, it is likely that you can file a lawsuit against someone; however, it is important to determine whether it is proper to sue the company, the mechanic, the driver, the truck manufacturer or some combination of these parties.
UPS (United Parcel Service, Big Brown) is the largest package delivery and supply chain management company in the world. The multinational courier service delivers tens of thousands of packages every day in the United States alone.
According to a recent U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) report, UPS operates a fleet of more than 125,000 vehicles and employs 115,000 drivers who are authorized to transport general freight in and between states. UPS vehicles traveled more than 2,919,242,000 miles on U.S. highways in 2018. (Yes, nearly three billion miles!)
With intense pressure to make scheduled deliveries on time, UPS truck drivers often find themselves in a rush to get to all the stops on their route. This focus on speed and efficiency can lead to accidents with passenger vehicles, motorcycles, or pedestrians.
Over a recent 24-month period, UPS trucks were involved in 2,362 accidents (54 were fatal and 858 caused injuries). In terms of crashes per year, UPS ranks the highest among all U.S. courier service providers, followed closely by FedEx.
UPS Truck hit my vehicle!
One of the largest package delivery companies in the world, the United Parcel Service (UPS) uses a fleet of nearly 120,000 vehicles to deliver 3.1 million packages and documents in the United States on a daily basis. As a commercial entity, UPS has a legal obligation to ensure that their delivery drivers and delivery vehicles are always operating in a safe manner.
Put simply, accidents involving UPS trucks and other delivery vehicles occur nearly every day. In our experience, UPS and its team of attorneys make every effort to limit the amount of compensation to truck accident victims. They may offer a settlement agreement before you have had a chance to consult with a trucking lawyer, knowing that settlement may save them money.
For a free, no obligation review of your UPS truck accident case, please contact our law office today.
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