Hit by a USPS Truck: What to Do in the First 24 Hours

The moments right after a collision with a USPS vehicle look like any other car accident — but the claim you're about to file is not. Evidence that would sit in an insurance file for months in an ordinary accident can be gone within weeks here, and the "other side" is a federal agency with its own investigators already working the case before you've even left the scene.

What to Do at the Scene

1. Call 911. Get medical attention for anyone injured and request police response. A police report is independent evidence a federal claims adjuster cannot simply wave away.
2. Identify the vehicle precisely. USPS vehicles carry a vehicle identification number printed on the exterior — photograph it. Note whether the vehicle is a Grumman LLV, a Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), a cargo van, or a tractor-trailer, and whether it carries any markings distinguishing a USPS-employee-driven vehicle from a contractor vehicle. That distinction can determine whether your claim is federal at all.
3. Get the driver's information — name, and if offered, their route or employee identification. Do not accept or offer any statement about fault.
4. Photograph everything. Both vehicles, license plates, road position, skid marks, traffic signals or signage, and any visible injuries.
5. Get witness contact information. Independent witnesses matter more in a federal claim than in an ordinary insurance dispute, where two insurers often settle disputed liability with less friction.
6. Get evaluated by a medical provider the same day, even for injuries that seem minor. Adrenaline masks pain, and a same-day record is the clearest link between the collision and your injuries.

What USPS Does Next — And Why Timing Works Against You

USPS conducts its own internal investigation of vehicle accidents, and the driver typically files an internal accident report. Some vehicles carry telematics or dashcam systems that log speed, braking, and route data — data that is not preserved indefinitely. Once a claim is filed, that evidence becomes discoverable, but a formal preservation request sent early is far more likely to catch it before routine deletion than one sent months later.

This Is Still a Negligence Case — Filed a Different Way

Fault is still determined the way any car accident is determined: who ran the light, who was following too closely, whether the truck made an unsafe turn or lane change, whether comparative fault under your state's law reduces (or bars) your recovery. What's different is the paperwork: instead of a claim against an insurance company, you're filing Standard Form 95 with the federal government, on a strict two-year deadline that doesn't bend for anyone. See the full deadline breakdown →