New Orleans UPS Truck Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a UPS truck accident in New Orleans, LA?

At Kiefer & Kiefer, we have decades of experience holding commercial carriers and their insurers accountable for the injuries their drivers cause.

If you have been hurt in a crash involving a UPS truck or other commercial delivery vehicle, an attorney can help you pursue compensation from the driver, the carrier, and their commercial insurance policies. Louisiana law and federal motor carrier regulations both apply, and the evidence in a commercial trucking claim is often extensive. Louisiana filing deadlines apply, and driver logs, vehicle inspection records, and dashcam footage can be lost quickly.

Our New Orleans, LA UPS truck accident lawyer has represented injured people throughout Louisiana for more than four decades. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation.

UPS Truck Accident Lawyer New Orleans, LA

A UPS truck accident lawyer represents people injured in crashes involving UPS delivery vehicles and other commercial trucks. UPS operates a fleet that includes 18-wheelers, package cars, tractor-trailers, and P&D trucks throughout New Orleans, and each vehicle type raises different investigation and liability considerations. Claims after a UPS crash typically involve the driver’s employer relationship, federal motor carrier compliance issues, and the carrier’s commercial insurance policy.

Louisiana law governs the personal injury framework for these matters, while federal motor carrier safety regulations shape the evidentiary landscape. Recovery can include medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses recognized under Louisiana law.

Types of UPS Truck Accident Cases We Handle in New Orleans

UPS operates a diverse fleet in the New Orleans metro area, from tractor-trailer combinations traveling interstate highways to smaller delivery vehicles making residential and commercial stops. Crashes involving these vehicles raise different investigation questions depending on the truck size, cargo, driver activity, and location of the incident. Our firm handles UPS truck and commercial vehicle accident matters arising from the situations below.

• 18-wheeler accidents. Tractor-trailer crashes involving UPS and other commercial carriers often involve significant weight differentials and high-speed impacts that cause catastrophic injuries. We review driver hours, dispatch records, and vehicle inspection logs to establish fault.
• Semi-truck accidents. Semi-truck crashes involve unique investigation issues including cargo shifting, jackknifing, and mechanical failure. Driver and carrier logs are central evidence.
• Delivery truck accidents. UPS package cars and other delivery trucks operate in residential and commercial neighborhoods and are involved in rear-end collisions, backing accidents, and pedestrian strikes at delivery stops.
• Box truck accidents. Smaller commercial vehicles used for package delivery can cause serious injuries in traffic and parking-lot crashes.
• Company vehicle accidents. Crashes involving vehicles operated by employees on company business raise questions about vicarious liability and commercial insurance coverage.
• Rear-end collisions. A UPS truck rear-ending a passenger vehicle can cause severe whiplash, spinal, and brain injuries because of the weight and force involved.
• Backing and blind-spot accidents. UPS drivers making deliveries often back their vehicles into driveways, alleys, and loading zones, and blind spots can lead to strikes of pedestrians, cyclists, and parked vehicles.
• Serious injuries. UPS and other commercial truck crashes can cause fractures, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injuries requiring long-term care.
• Spinal cord injuries. High-force truck crashes can damage the spinal cord, causing paralysis, loss of sensation, and permanent disability.
• Wrongful death. Fatal UPS truck crashes give the surviving family the right to bring a wrongful death claim against the driver, the carrier, and applicable insurers.

Why Choose Kiefer & Kiefer as My UPS Truck Accident Lawyer in New Orleans, LA?

Kiefer & Kiefer has represented injured people across Louisiana for over four decades and has recovered millions of dollars for clients in cases against commercial carriers, insurers, and other defendants. Truck accident cases involve federal motor carrier regulations, corporate defendants with substantial resources, and evidence that requires prompt preservation. Our attorneys have handled these cases from both sides of the courtroom during their careers, which continues to inform how we investigate, document, and litigate them.

Senior Trial Attorney with Both-Sides Experience

Nat G. Kiefer, Jr. is the senior partner and senior trial attorney at Kiefer & Kiefer. He graduated with honors from Tulane University Law School and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, an academic honor reserved for the top ten percent of law school graduates. Nat has tried more than 200 cases across state and federal courts, and his career includes substantial defense-side experience representing insurers and corporate clients before he turned to plaintiff-side practice. He has also served as an adjunct instructor teaching trial advocacy at Loyola University Law School. Our work as a personal injury lawyer in New Orleans, LA includes representing people injured in crashes with UPS trucks and other commercial vehicles throughout Orleans Parish.

What Is Important to Understand About a UPS Truck Accident Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for UPS Truck Accident Cases

Louisiana law lets an injured person recover from the party responsible for the crash. In UPS truck cases, recoverable parties often include the driver, the carrier under vicarious liability, and the commercial insurance policy. Recovery categories typically include:

• Emergency and hospital care, follow-up treatment, and future medical care.
• Wage losses during recovery and diminished earning capacity when the injury affects future work.
• Pain, suffering, physical impairment, and disfigurement caused by the crash.
• Long-term rehabilitation, medical equipment, and vocational retraining costs.
• Loss of the ability to perform activities the injured person could do before the crash.

For accidents on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana applies a modified comparative fault standard that can reduce or bar recovery based on the injured person’s share of fault. The types of damages available depend on the injury, parties involved, and coverage that applies. Complex claims with multiple defendants often require forensic economists to project lifetime losses.

What Are Important Aspects of a UPS Truck Accident Case?

UPS truck cases depend on evidence from commercial trucking operations. Driver logs, hours of service records, dispatch communications, dashcam footage, and vehicle maintenance history are all relevant, and preserving these records early is critical. Several issues distinguish commercial truck cases from typical passenger vehicle crashes:

• Commercial motor carriers are subject to federal safety regulations that create documentation obligations relevant to the claim.
• The driver’s employment relationship with UPS supports a theory of vicarious liability against the carrier.
• Commercial insurance policies generally provide higher limits than personal auto policies, which can affect settlement dynamics.
• Corporate defendants often deploy significant defense resources, including reconstruction professionals and legal teams, from early stages.
• What you post on social media can be used to argue about the extent of the injury, so caution matters.

According to FMCSA data, large truck crashes cause thousands of fatalities each year, and preserving records specific to a commercial carrier is central to causation and damage analysis.

What Is the UPS Truck Accident Case Timeline?

UPS truck accident case timelines vary based on injury severity, the number of defendants involved, and the pace at which the carrier and its insurers respond to the claim. Most matters follow this general path:

• Medical treatment and evaluation until the treating physician confirms the extent of the injury.
• Investigation of the crash, including scene evidence, vehicle records, and driver logs.
• Preservation letters to the carrier and insurer to prevent loss of records.
• Identification of every responsible party and applicable insurance policy.
• Filing suit within the two-year prescription period when negotiations are unproductive.
• Discovery, including depositions of the driver, dispatch personnel, and corporate representatives.
• Settlement negotiations, mediation, or trial before a jury.

Commercial truck cases can involve multiple defendants, and coordinating discovery among them extends the schedule. Settling before every applicable policy is identified can leave compensation unclaimed.

What Should You Bring to Your UPS Truck Accident Consultation?

An initial consultation is more useful with records in hand, though nothing is required to schedule. If available, please bring:

• The police report and accident report from the scene.
• Photographs and video of the vehicles, the scene, and any injuries.
• Medical records, imaging studies, and receipts for treatment and prescription medications.
• Insurance information for your own coverage and any correspondence from UPS or its insurer.
• Names and contact information of any witnesses to the crash.
• Employment records, pay stubs, and tax returns for lost income calculation.

The consultation is free and provides an opportunity to discuss the crash, review your rights, and understand how Louisiana law applies to your case.

What Are Important Louisiana Legal Resources for UPS Truck Accident Cases?

Louisiana law governs personal injury actions arising from UPS truck crashes, alongside federal motor carrier safety regulations that apply to commercial trucking operations. The materials below are the authoritative starting points for anyone reviewing the framework directly.

• The general Louisiana negligence and damages framework is codified at La. C.C. Art. 2315.
• Personal injury claims are subject to a two-year prescription period under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1, effective July 1, 2024.
• Louisiana’s comparative fault rules are set out in La. C.C. Art. 2323, and a modified 51 percent bar applies to accidents on or after January 1, 2026.
• Owners and custodians of vehicles and other things may be liable under La. C.C. Art. 2317.1 for damage caused by ruin, vice, or defect.

Reach Out to Kiefer & Kiefer to Schedule a Consultation

If you have been injured in a crash with a UPS truck or other commercial delivery vehicle, we can help you understand your legal options under Louisiana law. Our firm accepts truck accident cases on a contingency fee, so no attorney fees are owed unless we obtain a recovery for you. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our New Orleans UPS truck accident attorney.

UPS Truck Accident Statistics in New Orleans

No public agency tracks crashes involving UPS vehicles by company name. The available data covers commercial vehicles as a group, and it shows a steady presence of trucks in serious crashes in Orleans Parish and across Louisiana. Delivery work adds its own risks, because package cars stop often, back up frequently, and spend most of the day on crowded city streets. Larger UPS tractor-trailers also move freight on the interstates that pass through the city.

• Orleans Parish recorded 261 commercial motor vehicle crashes in 2023, up from 238 in 2022, according to LSU CARTS data.
• Louisiana had 90 fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2020, a rate of 19.37 per million residents, according to FMCSA crash tables.
• Nationwide, 5,340 people died in large truck crashes in 2024, and 62 percent of them were occupants of passenger vehicles, according to IIHS fatality facts.
• Light truck drivers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Transportation and material moving occupations recorded 1,391 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2024, based on national BLS figures.

These figures point in two directions. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians who share the road with delivery trucks face serious injury when a crash occurs. And the delivery drivers themselves are injured at high rates, sometimes by other motorists. A New Orleans UPS truck accident lawyer can represent people on either side of that equation, as long as someone else’s negligence caused the harm.

Common Causes of UPS Truck Accidents

UPS trucks crash for many of the same reasons other vehicles do, but package delivery creates additional risks. The same patterns appear in crashes involving FedEx trucks, Amazon vehicles, and other delivery trucks. For UPS truck accident lawyers in New Orleans, identifying the cause is the first step toward determining who is responsible.

• Tight delivery schedules. Drivers work against route targets and delivery windows, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that strict delivery timelines add stress to the job. Pressure to stay on schedule can lead to speeding, rolling stops, and rushed turns.
• Frequent stops and double parking. A package car may make dozens of stops on a single route. Trucks stopped in travel lanes or bike lanes force other drivers and cyclists to merge around them, often with limited visibility.
• Distraction from handheld devices. Delivery drivers use scanners, navigation screens, and phones throughout the day. A glance at a device at the wrong moment can cause a rear-end crash or a collision with a pedestrian. NHTSA distraction data shows how often these crashes turn deadly.
• Limited rear visibility. Box-style package cars have large blind areas behind and beside the vehicle. Pedestrians, children, and parked cars can be struck when a driver backs out of a driveway or alley.
• Fatigue during peak season. Holiday volume can extend shifts and add routes. Long days behind the wheel reduce reaction time, especially late in the evening, and seasonal drivers may be less familiar with their routes.
• Inadequate training or supervision. When a company puts an inexperienced driver on a difficult route, or ignores a driver’s history of violations, the company may share responsibility. These negligent hiring claims depend on internal company records.
• Poor vehicle maintenance. Worn brakes, bald tires, and broken lights contribute to crashes. For tractor-trailers that carry UPS freight between facilities, the carrier’s inspection history can be reviewed through the FMCSA SAFER system.
• Narrow and congested streets. Many New Orleans neighborhoods have narrow streets, tight corners, and heavy parking. Large trucks making turns can swing into oncoming lanes or strike vehicles at dangerous intersections.
• Improperly loaded cargo. Packages stacked too high or left unsecured can shift during a turn or a hard stop. In a tractor-trailer, a shifting load can change how the truck handles and contribute to a rollover or jackknife.
• Unsafe left turns. Delivery routes often require left turns across busy lanes without a protected signal. A driver who misjudges the speed of oncoming traffic, or who is trying to reach the next stop quickly, can turn directly into the path of a car, motorcycle, or bicycle.
• Weather and flooding. Heavy rain reduces visibility and traction, and street flooding can hide potholes and lane markings. A delivery truck that keeps its normal pace in poor weather can lose control or fail to stop in time.

New Orleans UPS Truck Accident Lawyer FAQs

How much does it cost to hire a UPS truck accident lawyer in New Orleans?

We handle UPS truck accident cases on a contingency fee, and there are no up-front fees. There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. You can pursue a claim against a large corporation without paying a retainer or hourly charges while you recover.

Who is responsible when a UPS driver causes a crash?

When a driver causes a crash while working, the employer can often be held responsible for the driver’s negligence. Other parties may share fault as well, such as a maintenance contractor, a vehicle manufacturer, or another motorist. Identifying every responsible party matters because each may carry separate insurance coverage.

What if the driver was a seasonal or contract driver?

The driver’s employment status can affect who is responsible and which insurance applies. Some delivery work is performed by temporary workers or outside companies. Driver records, route assignments, and contracts help establish who employed the driver and who controlled the work at the time of the crash.

How long do I have to file a UPS truck accident claim in Louisiana?

For injuries sustained on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana generally allows two years from the date of injury to file suit. Injuries before that date fell under a one-year limit. Evidence such as onboard data and video should be requested long before that deadline approaches.

What compensation can I recover?

Damages may include medical expenses, future treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and property damage. Crashes with large trucks can cause injuries such as paralysis, which require a claim that accounts for lifetime care.

What if I was partly at fault?

Louisiana reduces your recovery by any percentage of fault assigned to you. For crashes on or after January 1, 2026, a person found 51 percent or more at fault cannot recover. Corporate defendants often argue that the other driver contributed to the crash, so the evidence should be gathered with that argument in mind.

I’m a UPS driver who was hit by another motorist. Do I have a claim?

You may. A delivery driver injured by a negligent motorist may have a claim against that driver in addition to any benefits available through work. Megan Kiefer obtained a $4.5 million settlement for a worker struck by a commercial vehicle on the job who needed several surgeries.

Should I speak with the company’s claims representative?

You can report the crash, but you are not required to give a detailed or recorded statement to the other side’s representative before speaking with a lawyer. Statements made shortly after a crash, while you are in pain, are sometimes used to dispute the claim later.

What if a family member was killed in a crash with a UPS truck?

Certain family members may bring a wrongful death claim for their own losses and a survival claim for the harm the person suffered before death. Louisiana law sets the order of who may file, beginning with the spouse and children.

Will my UPS truck accident case go to trial?

Most claims resolve through settlement, but some do not. If the company or its insurer refuses to make a fair offer, filing suit may be the next step. We prepare each case with that possibility in mind from the beginning.

Important Resources for New Orleans UPS Truck Accident Cases

Most Dangerous Locations for UPS Truck Accidents in New Orleans

Delivery trucks spend most of their day on commercial corridors, while tractor-trailers carrying freight between facilities use the city’s expressways.

Dangerous streets

• Poydras Street: a Central Business District corridor lined with office towers, hotels, and loading zones.
• Tulane Avenue: a commercial route through the medical district with heavy turning traffic.
• Broad Street: a north-south route that crosses several major corridors in Mid-City.

Dangerous highways

• Interstate 10 High Rise: the elevated bridge over the Industrial Canal that carries heavy freight traffic into New Orleans East.
• Earhart Expressway: an east-west route between the Central Business District and Jefferson Parish.
• Airline Highway (US 61): a commercial highway connecting the city with Metairie and Kenner.

What Are Important Local Resources for New Orleans UPS Truck Accident Cases?

The agencies and facilities below may be helpful after a crash involving a commercial truck in New Orleans.

• New Orleans Police Department: (504) 821-2222 for non-emergency calls and reports.
• University Medical Center New Orleans: (504) 702-3000, located at 2000 Canal Street.
• FMCSA Complaint Center: 1-888-368-7238 for reporting unsafe commercial driving or equipment after the fact.

Kiefer & Kiefer is not affiliated with and does not endorse any of the organizations listed above. This information is provided for convenience only.

About Kiefer & Kiefer

Kiefer & Kiefer was founded by the late Senator Nat G. Kiefer, Sr., and continues to represent injured Louisianans from its office at 1100 Poydras Street. Megan Kiefer has handled more than 3,000 accident and injury claims, including cases against commercial drivers for Amazon, UPS, and FedEx. She was named to The Best Lawyers in America in 2023 and has been inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America. Her results include $2.2 million for a client struck by a company vehicle who suffered neck injuries.

What Our Clients Say

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Everyone here is friendly and easy to work with. Thank you Megan. I would absolutely use again

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Additional Resources for New Orleans UPS Truck Accident Cases

• UPS Truck Accidents In New Orleans: Recent Incidents And Legal Guidance
• Key Factors Influencing Truck Accident Claims
• How Insurance Works After A Truck Collision
• Why You Need A Truck Accident Attorney

Contact Kiefer & Kiefer

If a UPS truck injured you or a family member, a New Orleans UPS truck accident attorney at Kiefer & Kiefer can investigate the crash, request the company’s records, and handle communication with its insurers. We take these cases on a contingency fee, with no up-front fees. In a free, confidential consultation, we’ll review what happened and explain your options. We give clients our cell phone numbers so they can reach us with questions throughout the case. Contact us to schedule your consultation.