Automotive accidents cause an array of difficulties in one’s life. If the incident is severe enough, at the very least it can easily frighten you, or dreadfully, cause an injury to you or damage to your vehicle. As if that isn’t grim enough, imagine being hit by a FedEx truck. Due to the sheer size of the average FedEx truck, the odds are your car will not make it through that particular experience unscathed.
If you live in Ohio and are hit by a FedEx truck – or someone working for FedEx – you may be entitled to compensation.
Even if you are clearly without fault in the incident, you should be aware that large companies such as this have a ready and waiting legal team whose only job is to keep lawsuits from going to court while still ensuring you don’t receive a fair payout.
We believe this practice to be inherently wrong, and do our best to prevent this from happening to our clients. If you do happen to suffer from this experience, please don’t despair. There are actions you can take to help make your case.
The following tips will help you if you are hit by a FedEx truck.
Before anything else is attempted, take the time to do a wellness check.
If you need medical attention, do not hesitate to call 911. Your health and safety should be your top priority. . You don’t want to risk leaving things unattended, as you may have jarred your neck or back and may not feel it during the adrenaline rush and shock of the accident. If you don’t feel comfortable calling for medical care at the scene, you should still follow up with a doctor in the next 24 hours. Make a point to keep copies of the doctor’s report for future reference, and be clear to your physician that you were involved in an accident.
Once this has been attended to, notify your local authorities.
Have them come to the scene to file a traffic accident report. Be clear and concise while telling your side of the story, and try to remove your feelings from your statement. Facts are more useful than feelings in these circumstances as it allows the officer to remain as objective as possible. You can request that the officer tell you who they cite at fault in the official report.
Beyond that, you follow up with them about the time frame in which they file their reports. Usually, this will occur in the next few business days after you are hit by a Fedex truck.
The next step is the same as you would follow in a any accident – collect information from the Fedex driver.
You should take down their name and driver number, the make and model of the vehicle, their insurance information (including if they have an extra policy provided by FedEx) the plate number, and even if they were working a shift at the time. Then, while everything is still fresh, you should document the accident as much detail as possible. The following items make a good checklist for the scene:
- Date and time of the accident,
- The street or intersection it occurred
- Weather conditions at the time
- Photos of any damage to either vehicle
- Any other details that might be helpful for making a report (such as the driver running a red light, didn’t break, etc)
Make copies of all of this information. Another useful point to look out for is potential witnesses. If there were any witnesses to the incident, politely request if they would be willing to make a statement and ask for their contact information.
Once you have completed these tasks, you need to report the accident to your insurance company, and also to FedEx. You should note that it can be difficult to file a claim against the company itself – more and more delivery companies are hiring employees as independent contractors, providing a legal loophole in liability cases. However, there has been a push from the media and among legal circles in this regard after the major accident in Pennsylvania earlier this year that resulted in the death of five people. No matter the circumstances of your accident, these existing policies may make it difficult to pursue a claim on your own.
If you need guidance on how to receive the best possible outcome from the accident, you should contact a determined personal injury firm about the process. Having a firm represent you against FedEx can streamline the process of filing for a claim, and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Don’t make this more difficult on yourself than it already is. Help is only a simple phone call away. Contact us today at (937) 222-2030 to schedule your free, no obligation consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.
