The U.S. mail never stops and that means you’ll always see those little white mail trucks on California roads no matter where you go.
Their stop-and-go routines can sometimes seem like driving in slow motion, but other times a mail truck may speed right by you. When mail carriers are focused on the road, this recklessness might be okay, but drivers for the United States Postal Service are easily distracted by their jobs.
A careless USPS big rig driver might cause a collision that hurts you or a loved one. Then you may have to quickly figure out if you’ll be filing an injury claim with the mail carrier or the employer…the U.S. Government.
Contact a USPS Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
An accident with a mail truck can leave you in pain and experiencing a great deal of confusion. Filing an accident claim against USPS won’t be as easy as the insurance process involved in a normal collision.
You may have many complex questions after a mail truck accident, but there’s a simple way to get them answered. Take advantage of a free consultation session with a real California lawyer.
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, offers a free and confidential case evaluation. He’s ready to listen to you and go over your best options for getting accident support from USPS and the government. Things will work a little differently than in a normal accident claim, but you should not compromise when asking for full support with your medical bills and your missed hours at work.
USPS Accident Dangers in California
Those white mail trucks may remind you of little tanks as they dart from mailbox to mailbox. They are built sturdy and they are also usually loaded down with letters and packages. They’ll take longer to come to a full stop and they’ll also be harder to steer out of a mistake.
These contrasts from a normal car or SUV can make a big difference when a light turns red or when mail carriers realize their vehicles have drifted into another lane.
The fact that mail carriers are also working while trying to guide these heavy vehicles only magnifies the accident dangers. USPS employees are scanning packages and monitoring for updates on their computers. They are also prepping their next drop-off, sometimes while still on the move. It’s a difficult balance that leads to serious accidents each year in California.
The accident dangers extend to the larger trucks in the USPS fleet. This includes the 18-wheel big rigs and box trucks the Postal Service runs 24/7 to make Priority Mail services possible. A collision with one of these trucks can expose victims to powerful collisions and also leave cars underneath tractor-trailers for an added risk of injury.
Filing an Accident Claim Against the Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service is an independent branch of the federal government. Unfortunately, if you are hit by a mail carrier’s vehicle, you’ll have to follow some very strict and seemingly unfair government rules to have the hope of earning injury support.
The first thing to know is that you’ll actually have to get the government’s permission to sue the Postal Service before you can try anything else.
Here’s a brief look at the steps you’ll need to complete to secure injury compensation after an accident involving a USPS truck:
- You have up to two years to file an administrative claim against the USPS.
- Government investigators then have six months to determine if your claim is reasonable.
- The government can decide to approve your claim and pay all or some of your requested compensation.
- The government can reject your claim. In this case, you’d have up to 6 months to dispute this decision and file a lawsuit.
Trusting a California USPS Accident Attorney With Your Case
You shouldn’t give up hope that you’ll receive support for your recovery. If you are hurt by a USPS mail carrier’s mistake, you must stay patient. You’ll just have to accept that the government adds a few extra steps to earn what’s fair.
It’s also critical to have an experienced California attorney making sure the government treats you fairly and takes your injuries seriously.
Your legal representative will present strong evidence in your favor proving that a USPS driver caused your accident and injury. Your attorney will also make sure your case is filed in a timely manner and that you don’t miss deadlines.
What Can I Receive Compensation for After a USPS Involved Accident?
It’s important that your claim filed with the government includes every economic and non-economic damage you and your family have endured.
Economic damages are those losses you’ve taken that can easily be totaled to reach a monetary value. Your hospital bills and car replacements costs are good examples of economic damages.
Non-economic damages are harder to estimate, but they are just as damaging to victims. They may include the amount of pain you’ve suffered and the emotional losses your family endures throughout recovery.
Here are a few examples of the kinds of things that can earn compensation in an injury claim filed against the U.S. Postal Service.
You can receive support for these economic damages:
- Hospital bills now and those expected to arrive in the future.
- The long-term expenses if you must live with a permanent disability.
- Travel costs for making doctors’ appointments and consultations with specialists. Shuttle service fees.
- All income and benefits you’ve lost while missing work hours.
- Property damage.
You can receive support for these and other non-economic damages:
- The physical pain you’ve endured and may have to endure in the future.
- The emotional anguish you’ve experienced such as depression while dealing with an injury. PTSD symptoms and anxiety are also possible after a frightening crash.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Another emotional toll an accident and injury may take.
- Loss of consortium. The loss of intimacy with family members, especially a spouse.
Contact a USPS Traffic Accident Lawyer Serving California Victims
Two years to file an accident claim against USPS and the government may seem like a long time, but please talk over your case with a skilled California Truck Accident Lawyer as soon as possible.
The sooner your attorney is alerted to your accident, the easier it will be to build a strong case. Obtaining evidence and documents will be easier in the early going and keeping track of witnesses will be less of a challenge. It’s also important to file as soon as possible when considering the other strict deadlines associated with any case involving the federal government.
Attorney Martin Gasparian offers a free and confidential case evaluation to all victims and their families. Mr. Gasparian works hard to make sure clients are allowed to rebuild their lives without worrying over hospital bills and lost income.
