Every day, a massive number of Amazon, FedEx and UPS trucks roll through major shipping hubs near Indianapolis. With so many commercial vehicles rushing to meet deadlines, crashes happen. If a delivery truck hits you, calling 911 and getting medical help are your immediate priorities, but your job does not stop there. To protect yourself, you must take specific, strategic actions right at the scene and in the days that follow.
The step-by-step delivery accident action plan
Indiana uses a modified comparative fault rule, meaning you can collect a compensation for your injuries and material losses as long as you are less than 51% responsible. Unlike a standard fender-bender, a crash with a corporate delivery vehicle requires you to gather heavy proof and navigate corporate red tape immediately. Follow these steps to protect your right to compensation:
1.Collect evidence and request camera footage: At the scene.
Take photos of everything: the damage to both vehicles, the truck’s license plate, corporate logos, and any traffic signs. Look around for cameras. Ask nearby business owners to preserve their security footage and ask the police to check if the delivery truck had active dashcam video.
2.Notify your insurance and navigate policy complexities: Within 24 hours.
Report the crash to your own insurance company right away. Commercial accidents involve massive insurance layers and complicated policy structures. Delivery companies often use third-party administrators or independent contractors, making it difficult to figure out which corporate policy actually covers your damages.
3. Protect your rights during negotiations: Ongoing.
When FedEx, UPS, Amazon or their insurance adjusters call you, do not give a recorded statement. Contact an experienced attorney that will advise you on what to say so you do not accidentally take responsibility. Your lawyer will formally demand corporate driver logs, black box data and maintenance records to prove what caused the accident before the company can delete them. A lawyer will handle all communications and negotiate a fair settlement so you do not get cheated by lowball corporate offers.
4. File a formal claim with legal backup: If necessary
If negotiations fail, have an experienced personal injury attorney help you file the formal claim against the delivery company and the driver. A lawyer can properly address employer liability, proving the company is responsible for its driver’s carelessness.
Getting hit by a UPS truck or an Amazon van is vastly different from a standard car crash. You are fighting multi-billion-dollar corporations, not just another driver. To protect your claim, be extremely careful with what you say, never overshare details or photos of the accident on social media, and get professional legal help immediately.
