Ylla | Gosney represents injured mail truck accident victims in Oklahoma City. If you’ve been involved in a mail truck accident and had to receive medical treatment or miss time at work, then we can help you recover damages from the responsible party. Contact Ylla | Gosney today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation and get the legal help you need.
When to Contact a Mail Truck Accident Lawyer
Victims injured in mail truck accidents often suffer severe injuries, which require extensive medical treatment and time off work to recover. In certain cases, mail truck accident victims can be left with permanent disabilities, leaving them and their families with astronomically high medical bills and an uncertain financial future.
If you’ve found yourself in this unfortunate situation, you can file a claim on your own, but it is recommended to contact a personal injury lawyer to be sure you’re taking the necessary legal steps. Studies have shown that injured victims tend to receive more compensation with an attorney than without one. At Ylla | Gosney, we can help guide you through the process and provide you with the following legal services if you’ve been injured in Oklahoma City:
- Investigating and determining wrongdoing or recklessness: Mail truck accidents are complicated, especially because they involve the government. Suing the government is more complicated than an ordinary personal injury claim, but don’t worry, we can manage all aspects of your claim against the government.
- Collecting and preserving key evidence: Trucking logs, street cameras, dash cams, and witness statements are all key points of evidence for your case. Our lawyers will take the proper legal steps to obtain this information and strengthen your claim.
- Communicating with the OKC government and other attorneys: It is recommended to have an attorney speak to the government and their attorneys on your behalf. At Ylla | Gosney, our attorneys will protect you from liability and your right to fair compensation.
- Proving liability: with several parties being involved, any number of them could have caused or contributed to the incident. This makes determining and proving liability challenging. Our attorneys will assign a team of investigators to determine the cause of the accident, identify all liable parties, and hold those responsible for compensating you for your damages.
Get a Free Consultation
At Ylla | Gosney, we offer all injured victims in Oklahoma City free legal consultations. Knowing if you have a legitimate personal injury claim after being injured in a mail truck is the first step toward compensation. Our law firm is here to help guide you through this tough time and explain your legal options free of charge.
Free consultations involve a conversation over the phone, or in person to go over the details of your case. Once we have an idea of your situation, we lay out your legal options. If legal action is necessary, then our consultation also includes an outline of the next steps we would take with your case. At Ylla | Gosney, we operate on a “contingency” basis, meaning you don’t pay us unless we win your case. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a free evaluation of your situation.
Steps You Should Take After a Mail Truck Accident in Oklahoma City
An accident with a mail truck can be life-altering, which is why it is important to make sure you take the necessary steps to get your life back on track. At Ylla | Gosney, we recommend taking the following steps to ensure you have a strong case:
- Collect Medical Records: Even if your injuries seem minor, they can manifest into something much worse weeks later. So, it is recommended to check in with a doctor and get a record of your injury. An MRI or an X-ray can reveal substantial damage that you might not be aware of. These documents will be essential to building a strong case.
- Get a Police Report: Failing to alert the police does not help your case, especially if the case comes down to your word over the person responsible for your injuries. A police officer will file an accident report and may even assign blame based on their assessment. A police report is critical evidence in any claim and will play a key role in ensuring you are fully compensated.
- Gather Evidence: You should document the accident as thoroughly as possible. Take pictures of the property where the accident occurred. Take a video of yourself recounting the accident while it is still fresh in your mind.
- Collect Eye Witness Statements: if there are any eyewitnesses, try and get a statement from them. Or, at least, get their names and numbers, as they can testify on your behalf or provide a statement to corroborate your story later.
- Collect General Information: Exchange insurance information with the party responsible for your injuries, and be sure to get their name, phone number, and contact information.
- Contact Ylla | Gosney Attorneys at Law: Our firm is standing by to help mail truck accident victims in Oklahoma City physically and financially recover. Call, text, or email. Our door is always open to the community, and we’d love to help you through this difficult time.
Suing the United States Postal Service
You can sue USPS if one of their mail trucks hits you, causing your physical harm or property damage. However, since mail delivery drivers are employed by the government, they are afforded certain protections and immunities.
Filing a lawsuit against USPS is not like filing a claim against Amazon, UPS, or FedEx. Those delivery trucks are owned by a company or an individual with insurance policies. United States Postal Service trucks are considered government property. Government employees, like USPS drivers, have sovereign immunity to protect them from injury claims. However, it is not impossible to sue the United States Postal Service for compensation.
To file a claim against Oklahoma state agencies or employees, you will need to fill out Standard Form 95 (SF-95), which can be downloaded at GSA.gov.
Government Sovereign Immunity in a Personal Injury Claim
Filing a claim against a government entity can be challenging because of certain regulations, but it is possible to recover damages. One major difference from typical claims is that an injured victim only has 6 months to file a claim against a government agency, as opposed to 2 years for a non-government claim.
A government entity also has more ways to deny your claim through sovereign immunity. Sovereign immunity is when a government entity is not liable for injuries caused by the government entity or its employees as they are fulfilling their duty. However, the government is not allowed to declare sovereign immunity anytime they are at fault. The Oklahoma Tort Claims Act gives exceptions in which the government can be held liable for damages in cases of excessive carelessness, or corruption.
Federal Tort Claims Act Explained
The FTCA is a set of federal laws that outlines when and how a person is allowed to bring claims against a federal agency for injuries. Injured victims may bring a claim against the government to receive financial compensation if:
- Federal employees’ negligence caused bodily injury, death, or property damage
- The employee was acting within the scope of their employment
- A private citizen would be considered liable in the same type of scenario
Determining the Value of a Mail Truck Accident Injury
When it comes to your car accident settlement, the details of your case matter. For example, if you only sustained minor injuries from the crash or you were partially liable for the incident, your settlement could result in a lower amount. Basically, the more damages you’ve sustained, the more your case will generally be worth. While there are other factors involved in a personal injury claim, there are three damages you can claim after a mail truck accident injury that will have a substantial impact on the amount of compensation you can receive. These include:
- Economic damages: financial damages you incurred due to the accident.
- Medical bills
- Lost Wages
- Loss of future potential earnings
- Loss of property
- Cost of repairs
- Non-economic damages: these are subjective, non-compensatory damages.
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages: these are damages awarded to serve as punishment to the at-fault party.
- Reckless behavior
- Actions performed out of spite
Contact Truck Accidents Involving Mail Trucks in Oklahoma City Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in a mail truck accident in Oklahoma City, the attorneys at Ylla | Gosney can help build a strong case on your behalf to receive fair compensation. The road to recovery can seem difficult after being injured by a government employee, but it doesn’t have to be. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation. There are no upfront costs, and you won’t spend a dime until your case is won.