UPS Delivery Truck Accident Attorney

If you are driving around Boston, you will probably need to dodge those big brown UPS trucks stopped along the side of the street making deliveries. UPS, which is short for United Parcel Service, delivers around 20 million packages and documents every day.

While most of these deliveries occur without incident, some result in serious accidents that leave victims with painful and debilitating injuries, exorbitant medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Who's to blame for your UPS delivery truck accident? UPS? The UPS driver? Some other party? As you can see, liability and insurance concerns in these cases are more complicated than in standard car accident cases. UPS drivers are UPS employees, which means that any damage they cause while making deliveries is the responsibility of UPS. Because damages and insurance limits in these cases tend to be high (UPS carries insurance coverage of up to $1 million for each accident), it is not unusual for accident victims to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in settlements.

When the stakes are this high, you need a UPS delivery truck accident lawyer with the skills and resources to go up against this giant in the shipping and receiving industry. Keep in mind that in 2020 UPS earned more than $84 billion.

If you sustained injuries in a crash or collision that occurred because of a UPS driver's negligence or the negligence of the delivery service itself, the personal injury attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are ready to help. We can take on UPS on your behalf and ensure that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries. We offer free legal consultations and offer services on a contingency fee basis. That means that you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

UPS drivers travel millions of miles on Boston area roads, which means that accidents are inevitable. In a large city like Boston, accident rates tend to be higher than the national average because of the high level of traffic. When you add Boston's terrible traffic to the pressure UPS drivers face daily to deliver packages as quickly as possible, you have the recipe for a deadly accident.

In many cases, the UPS delivery driver is to blame for the accident. A driver speeding to deliver a package and meet daily quotas may engage in risky driving behavior that can lead to an accident such as:

• Exceeding speed limits
• Making sudden stops
• Failing to signal when making a turn
• Reversing the truck without warning after passing the delivery destination
• Pulling out suddenly after making a delivery
• Focusing on a GPS/navigation system or texting instead of paying attention to the roadway
• Violating traffic laws
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving fatigued
• Stopping in the middle of a road and blocking not only the road but sightlines

Recently, a Massachusetts man was killed as he tried to pass a UPS truck parked on the side of the road in Worcester and hit another vehicle in oncoming traffic.

Of course, not all UPS delivery truck accidents are caused by negligent UPS drivers. Accident victims may be able to hold UPS liable if they can show that their injuries are linked in some way to the company's vehicle maintenance practices and hiring practices. Some examples are if UPS failed to perform background checks on drivers or abide by drug testing policies. Other causes of UPS delivery truck accidents include:

• Delivery trucks that are poorly maintained or have not been inspected
• Vehicles that lack backup cameras, backup warning signals, or other safety devices
• Poorly trained drivers or drivers without commercial licenses
• Requiring drivers to spend too many hours on the road without proper breaks
• Requiring drivers to make too many deliveries in too short a time

In addition, improperly loaded trucks can lead to accidents. When workers fail to secure packages, they can rattle around inside the cavernous vehicle and distract the driver from the road ahead. Parcels that fall off the truck and onto the street below create obstacles for everyone on the road. In 2019, a collision on I-495 in Chelmsford caused a UPS tractor-trailer to spill more than 1,000 packages across the roadway. Overloaded trucks have the potential to block the driver's view.

A third-party driver can contribute to a UPS delivery truck accident in certain situations. A skilled lawyer will investigate the facts surrounding your accident and work to hold all negligent parties responsible.

Defective trucks can malfunction and cause accidents. For example, the vehicle's brakes might not work, or the tires may be unsafe. Your attorney can help you with a product liability suit against a UPS truck or truck part manufacturer. UPS does not manufacture its delivery vehicles but buys them from established car and truck makers.

Most people do not know that UPS trucks come equipped with high-tech cameras that allow the company to track its drivers. The cameras monitor the driver's speed, the distance the driver keeps from other vehicles, and other driving data. Camera footage can be crucial evidence in determining how your accident happened and whether UPS is to blame.

An attorney can secure this footage from UPS and use it to support your claims. It is best to contact a lawyer about a UPS delivery truck accident as soon as possible. Any delays may impact your attorney's ability to collect the evidence needed to win your case. In addition to camera footage, medical records, police reports, and witness statements can be used to build a lawsuit against UPS and other responsible parties. In Massachusetts, car accident victims have three years under M.G.L.A. 260 § 2A to file a claim.

UPS also uses technology to keep its drivers safe. For example, the company has programmed its vehicle routing software to avoid left turns. Turning left is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes, and nearly one-fourth of all car accidents involve left-turning vehicles. In most cases, the driver executing the left-hand turn is responsible for the accident. This driving strategy not only prevents accidents but saves UPS in fuel costs.

UPS delivery truck accidents differ from standard car and truck accidents because of one main factor—the size and weight of those massive brown delivery vehicles. A fully loaded UPS delivery truck can weigh as much as 24,000 pounds, while a UPS 18-wheeler with a loaded trailer can weigh more than 80,000 pounds. As a result, collisions involving UPS vehicles often result in catastrophic and even deadly outcomes.

People injured in UPS delivery truck accidents are likely to suffer serious injuries such as:

• Broken bones
• Spine, neck, and back injuries
• Paralysis
• Head and brain injuries
• Internal injuries
• Burn injuries
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Wrongful death

These injuries can be painful and require months or even years of grueling physical therapy. Even then, accident victims may never be able to return to their old jobs or enjoy life the way that they once did.

The severity of the injury depends on multiple factors. Was the accident victim wearing a seat belt? Did the airbag deploy? What type of vehicles were involved, and how fast were they traveling at the time of impact? People in a large sport-utility vehicle are likely to fare better than people in a small sports car. Head-on collisions at a high rate of speed are often deadly.

Certain vulnerable roadway users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists are especially at risk of severe injury in UPS delivery truck accidents. While motorists are at least protected by the metal body of their cars, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists are exposed.

Large vehicles like UPS delivery trucks and vans have large blind spots. As a result, the UPS driver may not spot a pedestrian or bicycle rider. Or might not spot the person until it is too late.

Bicyclists and motorcyclists can suffer serious injuries when UPS delivery drivers turn in front of them or stop suddenly in their paths. In addition, packages that spill from the back of a UPS delivery vehicle can be deadly to a bicyclist or motorcyclist navigating Boston's streets on two wheels.

The attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers not only know how to handle complex UPS delivery truck accident cases, but we have a proven track record of maximizing settlements and verdicts against this and other delivery companies.

To learn how our personal injury lawyers can help with your UPS delivery truck accident, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers at (617) 777-7777 or use our electronic form.