Tupelo Delivery Truck Accidents
If you live or work in Tupelo, you will see delivery vehicles throughout the city on a daily basis. Delivery vehicles may include a Wal-Mart truck delivering inventory to a store, Pizza Hut delivering food to a customer, and FedEx dropping off packages. In fact, thousands of delivery drivers are currently employed in Mississippi. Delivery truck accidents can occur for a myriad of reasons, and they often cause at least one person involved to suffer injuries. If you have been hit by a corporate vehicle, our Tupelo truck accident attorneys may be able to help you recover damages for your losses. We have assisted trucking accident victims for more than 30 years.
Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents in the Tupelo Area
Most delivery vehicles weigh approximately 26,000 pounds. Drivers should therefore use utmost caution when operating them, as the average four-door car weighs approximately 4,000 pounds. Common causes of delivery truck crashes in Tupelo include:
- Drivers being in a rush – delivery drivers must typically meet tight delivery deadlines, and some will get paid for each delivery made. Some drivers will have an incentive to speed or try to beat a traffic light before it turns red in order to make as many deliveries as possible.
- Poor vehicle maintenance – interstate truck drivers must follow specific maintenance guidelines set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Failure to meet those standards could result in sanctions against the company.
- Improper training – under federal law, companies must make sure a driver possesses the proper certifications to operate a commercial truck, including any necessary endorsements on his or her commercial driver’s license (CDL). Trucking companies must also train drivers on topics such as substance abuse.
Helping You Recover After a Tupelo Delivery Truck Accident
Proving liability will help you recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, among others. Depending on the facts of the case, you may be able to prove liability against the negligent driver and his employer. The liability of a corporate defendant can be direct or indirect. A direct form of liability would be negligent hiring, improper maintenance of the truck, or negligent training of the driver. Direct liability is where the company’s own negligence caused you to be injured in a delivery truck accident.
An example of indirect liability of an employer is vicarious liability. Also known as respondeat superior, this is when a company is responsible for the negligent act of its employee committed within the course and scope of employment. To prove that a driver was within the course and scope of employment, relevant information includes the employee’s work schedule, job responsibilities, authorized driving routes, and if the company was able to exert sufficient control on how the employee executed his or her responsibilities.
To avoid vicarious liability should a delivery truck accident occur in Tupelo, some companies will claim that the driver was an independent contractor acting on his or her own. An experienced trucking accident lawyer in Tupelo can properly advise you that the company’s classification is not always determinative. Thus, discovery may be needed to identify the proof needed to secure vicarious liability. This is one reason to retain a lawyer sooner rather than later.
Truck Accident Lawyers Ready to Take Your Call Today
Big companies have the resources to defend injury claims resulting from 18-wheeler and delivery truck accidents in or around Tupelo. Thus, you should secure legal representation of your own with the resources needed to effectively investigate and handle your case. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, we have a team of 33 lawyers and more than 120 staff members, including paralegals and investigators. Contact our office by calling 800-LAW-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation. NST is the way to go.
201 Magazine Street Suite 201
Tupelo, MS 38804
Phone:Â 662-840-9222
Fax:Â 662-840-7745
