FAQ: What Should I Do if a UPS Truck Hits My Car?

Getting into an accident is stressful—no matter how serious or minor. But when your hit by a commercial vehicle, you’re suddenly thrown into another world. These crashes are becoming more common as delivery trucks owned by Amazon, UPS, and FedEx fill our streets and roadways. They’re meeting an increased demand for at-home, fast package delivery.

It’s no surprise that people across Chicago and Illinois are hit by United States Parcel (UPS) delivery trucks every year.

If you were recently involved in a UPS accident, we want you to know that you’re not alone. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys have helped folks like you with UPS accident claims before. If you’re ready to explore your legal options, we encourage you to contact us for a free consultation. You can either call us or fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get started.

We understand if you’re not ready to speak with an attorney just yet, though. We wrote this blog for people like you.

Keep reading to find out the answers to these frequently asked UPS accident questions:

• What steps should I take after being hit by a UPS truck?
• Who do I sue: the UPS driver or the company itself?
• Who should I contact to file a UPS Vehicle Accident Claim?
• What’s the average UPS accident settlement?
• How can a Chicago personal injury attorney help me?

4 Steps to Take After Being Hit by a UPS Truck in Illinois

Immediately after a crash, it’s often confusing to figure out what you should do next. Here are some steps and guidelines to follow after an Illinois accident involving a UPS truck:

1. Seek medical treatment. If you or another party is injured, call an ambulance and go to the hospital. Your health and safety are the top priorities. Let’s say you didn’t go to the hospital right after the collision, but now you’re experiencing pain in your back two days later. In this situation, you’ll want to make an appointment with your doctor or go to immediate care for an evaluation.
2. Take photos of the scene and preserve evidence. If you or someone else is able to, take photos of the crash. Be sure to snap pictures of both vehicles (including license plates) and the scene of the accident.
3. Don’t talk to UPS or their insurance company. After an accident, a corporation like UPS will investigate the accident. This process includes contacting any and all parties involved in the crash. As a result, UPS or their insurance carrier may call you within a week of the crash. Do not speak with them. Companies have a vested interest in protecting their bottom line. They may record this conversation and use it against you in the future if you were to file a personal injury lawsuit. It’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid speaking with them.
4. Contact a truck accident lawyer. If you were hit by a UPS truck and were seriously injured, you need a truck accident attorney on your side. Why? UPS is a corporation that hires and manages thousands of drivers across the United States. They have internal safety programs and training materials. They record transportation routes and maintain files on their truck drivers. A seasoned truck accident lawyer does more than just “investigate” the initial crash, unlike an auto accident attorney that only settles small claims. They roll back the clock. They peek behind the curtain of the accident. By analyzing a transportation company’s internal documents, a truck accident attorney can determine if the company made a mistake in its training or hiring processes. This mistake may have contributed to the accident. Your attorney also analyzes how much you’re owed for both economic and non-economic damages. Keep reading to learn more about how much compensation you may expect for a UPS accident claim.

Do I Sue the UPS driver or the company itself?

You can sue both the UPS driver and the company in a truck accident lawsuit. Under Illinois law, the driver is an agent of the corporation. A UPS driver is an extension of the United States Parcel itself.

Who Should I Contact to File a UPS Vehicle Accident Claim?

We recommend that you DON’T contact UPS after an accident. Why? They will likely record your conversion and may use it against you if you choose to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Contact an attorney instead.

How Much Should I Expect for a UPS Accident Settlement?

Every case is different. You should not expect to receive a similar amount of compensation just because someone else did. Your case is unique.

What factor impacts the value of your case the most? Hiring the right attorney at the right time.

How Can a Chicago Truck Accident Attorney Help Me?

In summary, an experienced truck accident lawyer will help you and your family recover financially and emotionally, while also taking the stress of handling a lawsuit off your shoulders so you can focus on your recovery.

Hiring an attorney also preserves your right to file a lawsuit against companies like UPS. There are specific time limitations for filing UPS accident lawsuits in Illinois. The statute of limitations in Illinois is generally two years from the date of the crash. Your lawyer will expedite this process. At Shannon Law Group, we file cases right away instead of waiting for the

However, you shouldn’t wait months or years to hire an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer. There’s evidence from the truck accident that needs to be preserved and records. For example, there’s a computer in every commercial vehicle that records data – including data from the time of a collision.

But this evidence is only available as long as the vehicle is available. Once the truck is scrapped or the computer inside it is destroyed, that evidence is gone forever.

When you hire an attorney right away, they will investigate your case and gather as much evidence as possible from the accident. The more time that passes, the more time there is for this evidence to be destroyed or deleted.

After a thorough investigation of the crash and medical records, your lawyer will be able to estimate how much you may be owed in both economic and non-economic damages. Read this article to learn more about truck accidents and damages.

There’s no downside to hiring an experienced truck accident law firm like Shannon Law Group, P.C. They will help you get the compensation you deserve while protecting your rights.

If you were recently injured in a UPS accident, we encourage you to contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’re one of the leading truck accident law firms in Illinois, and we’ve helped people like you in the past. We offer in-person and virtual consultations. Call us today at (312) 578-9501 or fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get started.