Those who suffer injuries or lose a loved one in a delivery van accident can seek compensation for damages. Rather than handling the complex task of completing a lawsuit or claim on your own, you can hire a truck accident lawyer to fight for the money you deserve.
You may hire an attorney because of their experience, financial support, and reputation for winning cases like yours. The decision to hire a lawyer will also allow you to focus on your health rather than splitting time between your recovery and your case.
Who Is Responsible for a Delivery Van Accident?
An attorney must gather your delivery van accident facts to establish liability.
Those who may be liable for a delivery van accident include:
- The delivery van driver: If the driver caused your accident, you can hold them liable for your damages. A driver can be responsible when speeding, tailgating, distracted driving, impaired driving, or other types of negligence cause the accident.
- The delivery driver’s employer: Employers are usually responsible for their employees’ actions while the employee is on the clock. Suppose the delivery driver was delivering products on their way to or from work or engaged in any other work-related activity. In that case, you can hold their employer financially responsible for your accident.
- The van manufacturer: If a defect in a delivery van (or your vehicle) caused the accident, you can hold the manufacturer liable for the collision. Manufacturers have a duty to adequately test their vehicles and recall any vehicles that pose a danger to the consumer. If a manufacturer fails in their duty of care, it must be responsible for the harm it causes.
- The manufacturer of a defective van component: You can hold the manufacturer of a defective van component—such as a tire or brake pad— liable if their product causes an accident.
- A municipality: When dangerous road conditions cause a delivery van accident, you can hold a municipality responsible for your damages. Defective traffic lights, downed stop signs, potholes and cracks in the roadway, and unsafe work zones are among the conditions for which you can hold a city liable.
A van accident lawyer will establish liability for your accident. Multiple parties may be financially responsible. For example, you can hold a van driver and their employer liable if the driver caused your collision while under the influence.
Your attorney will work to prove the liable parties’ negligence using all available evidence.
THE CAUSE OF THE DELIVERY VAN ACCIDENT WILL AFFECT LIABILITY
The cause of a delivery van accident is relevant to liability.
Your attorney will identify the specific cause of your collision, which may include:
- Driver errors, such as speeding and other dangerous driver behaviors, increase the risk of accidents
- Dangerous road conditions
- Vehicle defects
- Dangerous actions by pedestrians (such as running into the roadway)
- Improperly loaded cargo (which may cause items to fall out of the delivery van)
Attorneys investigate their clients’ accidents, gathering evidence and determining exactly how the collision occurred. Once they have all the relevant facts, your attorney will know who to see compensation from.
Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer After a Delivery Van Accident?
Every victim of an auto accident must determine whether to hire a lawyer or handle their case alone.
Hire a van accident lawyer because of:
- The complexity of delivery van accident cases: The resulting legal case can be complicated when an accident involves a delivery van. Your lawyer must determine whether you can hold the delivery company liable and may need to secure evidence from that company. Ask yourself whether you can handle a challenging case independently.
- The financial investment a lawyer will make in your case: Personal injury lawyers cover the cost of their client’s cases. Your law firm will pay for experts to contribute to the case, cover filing costs, and pay administrative and travel costs. Your attorney will only receive their fee if they secure compensation for you.
- The stress you are under: Stress from your accident may leave you in a vulnerable state. Dealing with insurers can mean even more stress—and this is just one of many challenges in delivery van accident cases. By hiring a lawyer, you avoid the stress and headaches of completing an insurance claim or lawsuit.
- Your injuries: Your doctor may recommend resting as much as possible after your accident. It can be challenging to rest when you worry about the legal process and how to seek compensation. Never jeopardize your health further; seek guidance from an attorney immediately.
- A lawyer’s experience and legal training: Day in and day out, lawyers seek compensation for accident victims. When you need compensation, you should turn to someone whose job is to secure compensation for accident victims like you.
There is no suitable substitute for legal experience. Whether you consider your accident to be relatively minor or serious, an attorney will work to recover fair compensation for your damages.
What Damages Should I Seek Compensation for After a Delivery Van Accident?
The cost of an auto accident increases based on the severity of your injuries. You need to know the accurate value of your damages. You likely only have one chance to secure a financial recovery, and you must get all the compensation you need.
Your attorney will conduct a detailed investigation of your damages, which may reveal:
- Professional harm: Including lost income, diminished earning power, lost benefits, missed bonuses and promotions, lost fulfillment, and other professional damages
- Medical bills: Including the cost of ambulance transport, emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, medications, medical imaging, doctor visits, rehabilitation, medical equipment, and transportation to medical appointments
- Vehicle-related costs: Including the cost to repair your vehicle or replace a vehicle that suffered total damage during the accident
- Non-vehicular property costs: Including the cost of repairing or replacing phones, clothing, accessories, and any other property damaged during the collision
- Pain and suffering: Including physical pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep problems, scarring and disfigurement, and any other ailments that diminish your quality of life
Each delivery van accident victim has a unique array of damages. Your lawyer will collaborate with doctors, mental health professionals, economists, and others to identify and value your accident-related damages.
RECOVERABLE DAMAGES IN A FATAL DELIVERY VAN ACCIDENT CASE
In one year, 41,000 people died in the United States from traffic accidents, resulting in more than $430 billion in economic costs. Attorneys see the cost of these fatal accidents up close, as they represent families whose loved ones pass away because of delivery van accidents.
Recoverable damages in a fatal delivery van accident case may include:
- Pain and suffering (affecting both the decedent and surviving loved ones)
- Grief counseling and any other treatment for pain and suffering
- Funeral costs
- Burial or cremation costs
- Loss of the decedent’s non-economic value (such as spousal companionship and parental guidance)
- Loss of the decedent’s income and employer-provided benefits
- Loss of the decedent’s contributions to the household (such as financial services, labor, security, and handiwork)
A van accident lawyer will calculate your damages efficiently and accurately.
What a Delivery Truck Accident Lawyer Does for Their Client
To understand the value of a delivery truck accident lawyer, you must know all the services they provide. Your attorney will oversee every detail of your case, including:
COMMUNICATIONS WITH INSURERS
Insurance companies are a common feature of delivery truck accident cases. You may deserve compensation from your own auto insurance provider, another insurer, or both.
Your lawyer will arrange negotiations, respond to requests for documentation, and submit any recorded statements to insurers. If an insurance company wants information from you, they will go through your lawyer. This will ensure that no insurer can violate your rights for their financial gain.
PAPERWORK AND ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Law firms have teams of attorneys and paralegals who:
- Draft and file lawsuits and insurance claims
- Ensure all paperwork is complete and accurate
- Provide supplemental documentation to insurers and courts
- Ensure claims and lawsuits move forward at a reasonable pace
The smallest of details can make a difference in your case. Law firms have robust systems to ensure your case does not suffer from any clerical errors or delays.
CALCULATION OF DAMAGES
The calculation of your damages is a critical step in your case. Attorneys work with experts to value both economic and non-economic damages.
Calculating non-economic damages may be especially difficult for non-lawyers. Attorneys can use multiple methods (multiplier and per diem) to calculate non-economic damages.
Many accident victims hire lawyers to ensure they seek fair compensation for their accident.
DOCUMENTATION OF DAMAGES
A van accident attorney will seek documentation for each of your damages, which may include:
- Bills detailing vehicle repairs or the purchase of a new vehicle
- Bills for temporary transportation
- A mental health expert’s diagnosis of your pain and suffering
- Medical bills
- X-rays, CT scans, or other images of your injuries
- Proof of lost income
- Any other evidence of accident-related damages
With ample proof of your damages, liable parties may be unable to claim your losses are exaggerated or nonexistent. Therefore, your attorney will enter settlement discussions with as much documentation as possible.
SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS
Attorneys resolve most auto accident cases by settling. Your lawyer will meet with liable parties (an insurer or someone else) to demand the compensation you deserve.
As your lawyer receives offers from liable parties, they will discuss them with you. If the offer you receive is not suitable, your lawyer will continue negotiating. If negotiations end without a fair offer, your lawyer should take your case to court.
TRIAL (IF NECESSARY)
Though a trial is relatively rare in civil cases, it can secure compensation for a delivery truck accident victim.
A trial typically involves:
- Making oral arguments
- Presenting and questioning witnesses (including eyewitnesses and expert witnesses)
- Presenting documentation of your damages
- Explaining the calculation of your damages
- Filing any necessary objections and motions
- Countering any arguments made against your case
Most victims of delivery van accidents aren’t prepared to handle a trial. When you hire a lawyer, they can negotiate confidently because they can complete a trial. Insurers may know they have leverage if you don’t have a lawyer because you cannot credibly take a case to court.
Your Lawyer Will Take on the Insurance Companies for You
While insurance companies perform an essential service, they look out for their financial interests.
Insurers use several tactics to avoid paying van accident victims the money they deserve, including:
- Offering a lowball settlement offer shortly after the accident, hoping the beneficiary will accept a deal for less money than they deserve (and absolve the insurer of any further financial liability)
- Delaying the processing of the claim, hoping the beneficiary will cave and accept the lowball offer
- Accusing the beneficiary of causing the accident
- Claiming that the beneficiary’s losses are worth less money than they say
- Misrepresenting the details of an insurance policy
An effective attorney convinces insurers to pay the client the amount they deserve. If an attorney has a track record of taking insurers to trial (and winning), an insurance company may be more likely to offer a fair settlement.
How Do I Choose the Right Attorney for My Delivery Van Accident Case?
When searching for a lawyer, consider:
- The law firm’s case results
- What former clients say about the law firm
- Whether the firm advertises truck accidents as a primary practice area
- Whether the law firm serves the city where your van accident happened
- How the law firm treats you during your consultation
You can use objective criteria (like case results and reviews) and your own instincts to find the right lawyer for your case.
HIRE YOUR VAN ACCIDENT LAWYER BEFORE THE FILING DEADLINE EXPIRES
Most van accident cases have a strict filing deadline, so don’t wait any longer to hire personal injury attorney in Connecticut. Once you find the right legal support, you can relax and focus on your physical recovery and treatment. Protect yourself after a delivery van crash and injuries today.
