Being injured in an accident with a truck owned by the United States Postal Service is not the same as being in a truck accident involving a privately-owned truck.
The process of suing privately-owned carriers such as Fed-Ex or UPS is quite straightforward. Filing a personal injury lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Office and its employees (truck drivers), on the other hand, will require getting legal help from a truck accident attorney in Los Angeles.
How the process of suing the U.S. Postal Office’s truck drivers is different
A truck driver working for the U.S. Postal Office is just as likely to get into a motor vehicle crash as other drivers. They need to be vigilant of the surroundings and blind spots, and they also need to make sure that their trucks are not overloaded while their cargo is properly secured. On top of that, since all trucks require greater stopping distance, mail drivers must know when to hit the brakes in order to avoid rear-ending other vehicles or causing a crash.
“However, there is one huge difference between the U.S. Postal Office’s truck drivers and all other truckers,” says our Los Angeles truck accident attorney at Law Offices of Howard Kornberg. “These truck drivers are employed by the federal government, which means the process of suing these truckers will differ from the process of taking legal action against a truck driver of a commercial vehicle owned by a private entity.”
Suing the federal government is complicated
If you were injured in a truck accident involving a privately-owned vehicle, you would most likely be seeking compensation through the truck driver’s and/or his/her trucking company’s insurance company. If you get injured in a truck accident involving a truck driver employed by the U.S. Postal Office or another government entity, you will be suing the federal government.
Why? Because vehicles owned by the federal government do not carry insurance. While using a private entity is complicated as is, suing the federal government has a much longer list of legal implications. That’s why it is always advised to be legally represented by an experienced truck accident lawyer in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California when filing a lawsuit against the federal government.
Recovering damages after a truck accident involving a vehicle owned by the government
More often than not, vehicles used to transport mail are owned by the government. If a mail vehicle is not owned directly by the government, it is most likely owned by a sub-contractor working for the government. In the latter case, the government may still be held responsible for the crash involving a truck transporting mail.
In other words, if you are seeking compensation for an injury suffered in a truck accident involving a vehicle owned by the government, you will most likely be suing the federal government to recover damages. If you are suing the federal government, you will most likely be required to jump through quite a few hoops. Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyer warns that the process of suing the federal government differs from the process of filing a lawsuit against a private entity.
If you have been injured in a truck accident involving one of the U.S. Postal Office’s vehicles or any other vehicle owned by the federal government, consult with our attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg to find out more about your options on how to pursue compensation. Call our offices at 310-997-0904 for a free case evaluation.
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