Do I have a case if I was hit by a US postal truck?
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Do I have a case if I was hit by a US postal truck?
I was hit by a US Postal truck. I had 2 passengers in my car and one was a child age 12. The postal truck run a red light and flipped my car over.
Asked on August 18, 2016 under Accident Law, Maryland
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, you can sue the federal government (the post office) if their driver was at fault in hitting your car (which sounds like the case, based on what you write). You can sue for the cost to repair your car (or its then current value, or "blue book" value, if it was totalled) and related costs (e.g. towing, storage); if anyone was hurt and/or checked out by doctors/hospital, you could sue for out-of-pocket medical costs; if anyone suffered a signficant lasting injury or impairment, there may be compensation for "pain and suffering," too.
The thing is, the government is *very* unlikely to pay you unless you actually do sue them and force their hand. And suing the federal government (like the post office) is more complex than suing a private person or business--there are additional paperwork and procedural rules you have to comply with, and you have to sue in federal court, not state (e.g. county) court. You are advised to retain an attorney, one with experience at least in federal court (the rules are different than in state court) if you can't find one with experience actually suing the government, to help you.
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