Bakersfield delivery van accidents can leave victims with major hospital bills and without the option to work to help pay those bills. But when delivery drivers cause accidents, victims shouldn’t have to worry about covering these bills and supporting themselves.
Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield offers a free, no-obligation consultation for all step van accident victims in Kern County. It’s a chance to make sure that large delivery companies like Amazon or UPS are held accountable for the mistakes of their drivers, and that victims receive everything needed to make a full recovery.
How Do I Decide If I Need a Lawyer After a Kern County Step Van Accident?
The seriousness of your injuries usually decides whether you need a lawyer:
- If you have a few minor scrapes and bruises or just vehicle damage, you may not require the assistance of a lawyer. You can probably get fair treatment by filing yourself.
- If a careless delivery driver strikes you and you come away with serious injuries, such as a bone fracture or a head injury, it’s a good idea to speak to an experienced lawyer about your options.
A skilled Bakersfield truck accident lawyer is a safeguard when car insurance companies bristle over the cost of your medical care. They’ll try to move the burden of blame to another driver if possible (likely you). They’ll scoff at your doctor’s diagnosis of your injury, saying it isn’t that bad. It’s all an effort to get away with paying you as little as possible.
Your lawyer is also a shield if a major delivery company brings in its own corporate lawyers to dispute everything you say.
Your lawyer fully investigates your accident and collects all evidence so you can fight back when insurers and businesses resort to these underhanded tactics.
The experience of a great attorney in cases like these often means you’ll be getting much more for your injury than if you decide to handle your claim yourself.
Who Is Responsible for an Accident with a Delivery Van?
Who gets the bill for your car repairs and your doctor bills after an accident with a step van (also known as a walk-in delivery truck) will depend on who the driver is working for. The driver may work for an international transport company, or they may be working for themselves. It gets confusing.
These are a few of the parties that may have to provide you with a delivery van settlement check:
- Delivery Drivers. In some cases, drivers work for themselves and may own their own vehicles. These are usually known as contract drivers. They’ll be required to have their own commercial truck accident insurance. Large delivery companies like Amazon or FedEx use contract workers make some of their deliveries.
- Local Companies. Some vans and trucks are hired out from local trucking companies. Some vans may be utilized by other local businesses, such as AC repair companies or landscaping businesses. These businesses should cover all employees with commercial insurance to help out the victims of accidents. Major delivery companies can also use local companies to help with “last-mile” deliveries.
- Major Delivery Companies. These are companies like Amazon and DHL that hire a lot of full-time drivers and maintain their own fleets. These companies should have insurance covering all full-time employees who spend their days on Bakerfield streets. Amazon, for instance, provides up to a million dollars in coverage when it’s fulltime drivers cause collisions. These companies must also take responsibility for the maintenance of vehicles and accept fault in accidents caused by breakdowns. If bald tires blow out and cause an accident, it might leave corporations with liability.
- Manufacturers of Step Vans. Companies that make step vans, like Ford, can be liable for accidents caused by a part malfunction or a defect in the way the truck is made.
Determining who is to blame for an accident involving a work vehicle. Several different parties, like a driver and a business, may be responsible, but these parties will all likely deny liability, too.
A skilled lawyer gathers the evidence necessary to make the blame stick and then demands support from as many entities as necessary.
Step Van Accidents Involving Amazon Drivers
Step Van Accidents Involving FedEx Drivers
Step Truck Accident Dangers in Bakersfield
Step vans (sometimes referred to as step trucks) roll across Bakersfield each day. They deliver all sorts of boxes to doorsteps in neighborhoods like Riviera/Westchester. These vans may even end up as food trucks serving up food.
Delivery vans are handy for the jobs they do, but these vans can also be loaded down and present unique dangers for people in other cars, trucks, SUVs, and on motorcycles. Pedestrians and cyclists can also absorb a strong impact when a careless delivery driver strikes them.
Their size and shape can be dangerous threats to traffic, especially when truck drivers have their attention focused on other things. Delivery drivers who may be worried about deadlines and may be holding hand-held computers can fail to notice traffic lights turning red or afternoon traffic slowdowns ahead. Their distraction can lead to scary collisions and terrible accidents.
Victims will need help paying for their emergency rooms and perhaps further medical bills in the weeks ahead. They could also need major support if they suffer a long-term injury. The companies that put drivers out on Bakersfield roads each day need to be held responsible when their employees make mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of documents and evidence should I bring to my meeting with a lawyer?
The evidence your attorney uncovers will help build your case, but any evidence you collect at the scene can also help prove what happened. Bring any pictures you took at the scene of your truck accident. These pictures may illustrate the damage to vehicles and the angle of impact. They may show your visible injuries and bloody clothing. Photos of signage on the van showing what company it’s from can also boost your case. Turn over any witness contact information you secured. If you have a copy of a police accident report, bring a copy for your attorney. Bring all medical charts and invoices. Turn over all receipts you have for any other care and damages related to your crash. Paystubs will be important later to show the income that you’ve had to forfeit while you’ve been unable to work.
How long can I wait to file an injury claim after a step van accident?
California’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims allows victims up to two years to file. Waiting months or years can hurt a case. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible when the evidence is still fresh, and witnesses are easier to track down. You want your lawyer to be able to act before any surveillance video or dash cam video gets erased.
What kinds of things are paid for in a truck accident settlement claim?
Accident victims should receive reimbursement for any medical bills they’ve already had to cover and get support for any follow-up care they may need in the future. Repair costs for a damaged vehicle or full replacement money should be a part of the settlement. The paychecks victims lose while missing work must be reimbursed. A skilled lawyer would also demand support for the victim’s physical pain and the emotional trauma victims must cope with.
Contact a Step Van Accident Attorney Who Backs Your Claim with Evidence and Fights to Earn You More
Our attorneys never want to see you struggling to pay medical bills after an accident caused by a delivery driver. Those costs are usually the responsibility of their employers. Our attorneys are ready to get aggressive with companies and corporations that don’t immediately accept blame for the mistakes of their drivers.
If you have a serious injury, and a careless truck driver caused your accident, contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield to schedule a free consultation. It’s a confidential, no-obligation review of your case with a real truck accident lawyer.
If you end up needing our help to hold a business accountable for a traffic accident, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll get a lawyer paid. We don’t charge anything up front, and we only get paid if we win your case for you. Then our attorney’s fee comes out of the settlement check written for you.