On any given day, UPS has thousands of trucks and vans on the road delivering packages. Like other commercial vehicles, UPS trucks must abide by a strict set of rules and requirements to help protect the public. If UPS or one of its drivers violates these rules, it increases the odds of a truck accident that can lead to severe injuries, property damage and deaths.
What Are Common Causes of UPS Truck Accidents?
UPS truck and other mail delivery vehicle accidents often share common causes, such as driver distraction and broken traffic laws. Negligence, meaning the failure to act with reasonable or ordinary care, is behind most of these collisions in New Mexico.
Top causes include:
- UPS truck driver fatigue from working long shifts without adequate breaks.
- Inattention, such as texting and driving or reading package labels.
- Failing to check a truck’s blind spots, especially when backing up.
- Careless, aggressive or reckless driving, such as rolling through stop signs.
- Insufficient UPS driver training on how to safely operate large trucks.
- Improper truck loading, leading to truck imbalances or dropped loads in transit.
- Truck maintenance issues, which can cause brake failures and other malfunctions.
UPS truck accidents can take the form of rear-end collisions, side-impact crashes, vehicle rollovers, lost cargo loads, left-turn accidents, and pedestrian and cyclist collisions. UPS and its drivers are often capable of preventing these disasters.
Who Is Liable for a UPS Truck Accident in New Mexico?
UPS as a corporation has a legal responsibility to ensure the reasonable safety of its trucks and drivers. Its duty of care involves hiring qualified commercial drivers, properly training drivers and adequately maintaining its fleet of UPS vehicles. If UPS fails in any of these tasks, it can be held liable for a subsequent mail truck accident in New Mexico.
UPS is also subject to vicarious liability laws as an employer in New Mexico. Vicarious liability holds employers accountable for the actions and mistakes of their employees. If a UPS truck driver is found to be at fault for an accident, UPS can be held responsible as the employer. Other possible defendants include vehicle maintenance providers, part manufacturers and other drivers.
How to File a Claim After a UPS Truck Accident in New Mexico
If you get involved in a traffic accident with a UPS truck, try to remain calm and take the following steps to protect your rights:
- Stop your car and check yourself for injuries. If you or anyone else has been injured, seek immediate medical attention.
- Call 911 to report the crash to the police. Do not admit fault or discuss your injuries with a police officer until you’ve seen a doctor.
- Exchange information with the UPS truck driver. Document the truck’s license plate numbers and truck number. Collect witness information, as well.
- Use your cell phone to take pictures of the accident scene before you leave. Get shots of any property damage, injuries and the scene as a whole, including nearby traffic signs.
- Contact an attorney. Call The Fine Law Firm at (505) 889-3463 to request a free consultation about your case and legal options. We will meet with you at no cost or obligation.
It can be difficult to negotiate with UPS’s insurance provider on your own during an accident claim. UPS is a large enterprise with plenty of resources to put toward fighting liability for accidents. The best way to protect yourself is by hiring an experienced semi-truck accident lawyer in Albuquerque at The Fine Law Firm for legal representation as soon as possible.