FedEx, as a company, owes everyone it serves a duty of care. This means that the company must take on reasonable responsibility for the state of the packages that arrive at your doorstep as well as your safety on the road. Any FedEx drivers who initiate accidents can be held liable for your roadway losses–as can the rest of the company.
Of course, there are loopholes that allow the company to get out of its responsibilities. Before those loopholes can close on you, though, you can contact a St. Charles FedEx truck accident attorney. Morelli Law Firm can stand with you as you take your case to trial.
Who to Hold Responsible for FedEx Truck Accidents in St. Charles
The role FedEx truck drivers play in their company’s hierarchy can be difficult to parse. Some employees are hired on as independent contractors, while others work full-time. You need to distinguish between these roles if you want to take a FedEx employee and/or representative to civil court.
The distinction between these roles can change who it is that you name liable for your losses in a civil complaint.
An Independent Contractor
Independent contractors do not benefit from the same protections as full-time truck drivers. These parties are often employed through an agency and required to have their own insurance. In turn, independent contractors must represent themselves in the wake of an accident.
This means that any case brought against an independent contractor must implicate that driver, as opposed to the FedEx corporation. While this may mean that you benefit from less possible compensation than you might otherwise, it can also keep your case from expanding on a rapid scale.
FedEx Representatives
If you get into an accident with a FedEx truck driver who’s considered a full-time, on-duty employee, your circumstances change. In most cases, these parties are protected by FedEx’s legal team. That means that you can take FedEx, the company, to court over the losses endured in your accident.
Challenging FedEx in civil court can be an intimidating endeavor. Most of the time, the company may make you a settlement offer to try and keep your case from going to court. While these settlements can cover the extent of your losses, make sure you verify your numbers with an attorney.
The first settlement offer made by companies like FedEx often underestimates the value of your losses. When you work with an attorney, though, you can negotiate your settlement so that it better supports you throughout your recovery.
How to Hold the Right Party Responsible for Your FedEx Accident Losses
If you’re struggling to determine whether FedEx or an independent driver may bear responsibility for your losses, look at the evidence involved in your case. You can call on job records, employment documents, and physical evidence to determine the role a particular party may have played in your losses.
Some of this evidence may even reveal the role a third party took in your losses. For example, black box damage may indicate that a truck’s manufacturer failed to install essential safety gear in a driver’s truck. If a manufacturer or mechanic fails to address this kind of structural failure, you can take a complaint up against those parties.
Our FedEx truck accident attorneys in St. Charles can investigate the nature of your accident for you. We do so by revisiting the scene of your accident, calling on expert witnesses, and collecting bystander statements. All the while, we can update you on your case’s progress and your next best steps.
St. Charles FedEx Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
You Have a Limited Amount of Time to Act on Your FedEx Losses
If you want to take action against a corporation like FedEx, or if you have a complaint to bring against an individual, you have a limited amount of time in which you can do so. §516.120 of the Revised Missouri Statutes notes that all Missouri residents must present their complaints to the applicable parties within five years of the day their accident occurs.
This time period does account for a person’s need to recover, as it is more generous than the statute of limitations in many other states. It can still be difficult to understand what to do with this time, though. Fortunately, we can undertake the building of your case throughout this time block.
You, in turn, can focus on restructuring your life to accommodate the limitations forced upon you by your accident’s circumstances.
There Are Benefits to Filing a FedEx Accident Claim
Filing a FedEx claim lets you take control of your fight for post-truck accident financial support. You can choose whether you pursue a civil trial or settlement negotiations with a liable party’s representatives. Moreover, you can elaborate on the extent of your financial losses. This gives you the opportunity to demand comprehensive support throughout your recovery.
You can request a swath of damages when filing a FedEx accident claim, including those covering your economic and non-economic expenses. We can add together bills from medical treatments and property damage to create an economic sum. Then we can apply multipliers to that sum to represent losses like pain and suffering.
You can discuss the full value of your FedEx truck accident case with a Morelli Law Firm FedEx truck accident lawyer in St. Charles.
Talk to a St. Charles FedEx Truck Accident Attorney Today
FedEx has an obligation to train its drivers. The company must also respect your right to safety on the road. In the wake of an accident, however, FedEx may quickly buck responsibility for its drivers’ behavior in an attempt to secure its bottom line. If you find yourself struggling to secure the financial support you need after a FedEx accident, you contact our team.
Morelli Law Firm has gone up against companies like FedEx in the past. We know that these companies can use all kinds of tricks to get out of paying you the compensation you’re owed. Fortunately, our FedEx truck accident lawyers in St. Charles are prepared to put up a fight. Request a case evaluation online or by phone today.