Filing a Claim for a Delivery Truck Accident in Pennsylvania

Delivery trucks are becoming an increasingly common presence on Pennsylvania’s roads. With more people relying on next-day and two-day delivery instead of doing their shopping in stores, major retailers like Amazon are putting more trucks (and vans) into service. With the holidays right around the corner, now is an especially busy time of year for delivery truck drivers—and, unfortunately, this means that now is an especially busy time for delivery truck accidents as well.

If you have been injured in a delivery truck accident in Pennsylvania, filing a claim could be important to your long-term health and financial stability. All types of truck accidents can leave victims suffering from serious—and costly—injuries. But, victims will be entitled to financial compensation in many cases; and, generally speaking, filing a claim is the first step on the road to recovery.

How to File a Claim After a Delivery Truck Accident

How do you file a claim after a delivery truck accident? While filing a claim is important, it is not easy. Dealing with a major retailer or trucking company is very different from dealing with the auto insurance companies (which presents its own unique set of challenges). As a result, it is important that you speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. When you do, your lawyer will guide you through the steps involved in recovering the financial compensation you deserve—which generally include:

1. Getting the Medical Treatment You Need

After suffering serious injuries in a delivery truck accident, one of the most important things you can do is get the treatment you need. Not only is this important for your physical recovery, but it is also important for your claim for damages.

When filing a claim for a delivery truck accident, you need proof that your injuries are accident-related. If the liable company’s insurer isn’t convinced that you suffered your injuries in the accident, it isn’t going to pay. Likewise, if your medical costs are higher than they would have been had you sought treatment more promptly, this can create issues as well. Conversely, if you see a doctor right away, this will help ensure that your medical records serve as strong evidence in support of your claim.

2. Sharing As Much Information with Your Lawyer as Possible

Once you hire a lawyer to represent you, you will want to share as much information with your lawyer as possible. To represent you effectively, your lawyer needs to know everything you know about your delivery truck accident and your accident-related injuries. Your lawyer is 100% on your side, and your lawyer will only use the information you provide to help you recover the financial compensation you deserve.

3. Conducting a Forensic Investigation

While it is important that you share as much information with your lawyer as possible, regardless of how much information you can provide, your lawyer will conduct a thorough forensic investigation. The purpose of this investigation is to gather as much evidence as possible. Even if you know what happened, if you don’t have the evidence to prove it, you won’t be able to file a successful claim for your delivery truck accident.

From tire marks and debris at the crash site to the damage to each vehicle, forensic evidence can take many forms. But, it can also disappear quickly—and this is another reason why it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.

4. Gathering Additional Forms of Evidence

Along with gathering forensic evidence at the crash site, your lawyer may need to gather various other forms of evidence to prove your claim. For example, to recover just compensation for your delivery truck accident, your lawyer may need to collect evidence such as:

• Traffic camera, surveillance camera or dash cam footage
• The delivery truck driver’s driving log and phone records
• The delivery truck’s telematics (or “black box”) data
• The delivery truck’s maintenance records
• Internal communications and other documents from the retailer or trucking company

As your lawyer learns more about the circumstances involved in your accident, he or she will be able to get a better sense of the types of evidence that are available. Different types of evidence will be available in different cases, and the key is to make sure that you have the evidence you need to assert your legal rights.

5. Contacting the Retailer’s or Trucking Company’s Insurer

Once your lawyer has sufficient evidence to determine liability, your lawyer will contact the retailer’s or trucking company’s insurer (assuming the truck driver or an issue with the truck caused your accident). Trucking companies and major retailers like Amazon have liability insurance that covers accidents involving their delivery trucks. Your lawyer will deal with the insurance company’s adjusters and defense lawyers—and your lawyer will work to establish liability without the need to go to court.

6. Calculating the Long-Term Costs of Your Injuries

In addition to evidence of liability, filing a successful claim after a delivery truck accident also requires evidence of how much you are entitled to recover. Truck accident victims in Pennsylvania can seek just compensation for their financial and non-financial losses. Your lawyer will carefully calculate the long-term costs of your injuries to ensure that he or she is seeking full compensation on your behalf.

7. Working with Your Lawyer to Achieve a Favorable Result

While your lawyer will handle many aspects of your delivery truck accident claim for you, you will need to work with your lawyer to achieve a favorable result. From documenting your losses to deciding when (and if) to settle, you will have an important role to play in many aspects of the process. But, while this takes effort, the effort will be well worth it if it means recovering the financial compensation you need to manage your injuries’ financial and non-financial effects in the years to come.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Truck Accident Lawyer in Pennsylvania

If you need to know more about filing a claim for a delivery truck accident in Pennsylvania, we encourage you to contact us promptly. To discuss your legal rights with a truck accident lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis PC as soon as possible, call 888-777-7098 or request a free consultation online now.