How do I receive compensation for injuries caused by a postal service truck collision?

Collisions may be caused by any truck driver, including individuals working for the United States Postal Service (USPS). When you’re injured in a collision with a truck owned by the USPS, your case is entirely different from litigation against a privately-owned carrier such as United Parcel Service or FedEx.

Private vs. Public Carriers

Since mail delivery drivers are employed by the federal government, they operate under a different set of rules than private sector employees.
When a commercial vehicle is owned by a private carrier, the firm’s insurance company typically handles any vehicle accident claims. However, truck accident victims injured in a collision with a USPS vehicle must sue the federal government in order to receive compensation, since these trucks aren’t insured.

The Federal Tort Claims Act

Claims against the federal government must be pursued according to the terms of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).

As with private sector lawsuits, the injury victim must prove that the truck driver or vehicle owner is responsible for the accident. The first step in doing so involves filing a FTCA claim. While individuals injured in collisions with private sector company vehicles can simply file suit against the responsible parties, claims against the federal government aren’t so easy.

Before a lawsuit may be filed, the injury victim must first exhaust his administrative remedies by filing a FTCA claim. This process involves:

Submitting paperwork to the USPS that includes the facts of the case and details any financial losses.
The agency has six months to respond to the claim.
If the USPS responds by denying the claim, which is typical, injury victims have six months to file a lawsuit.

You Need an Attorney

Navigating through the maze of FTCA requirements is a complicated process, and it requires the expertise of an experienced personal injury attorney. To learn more about what the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., can do for you, visit us on Facebook.