USPS Contractor Trucking Accidents
The U.S. Post Office does not have a written policy that requires it to track serious and fatal trucking contractor accidents, prompting Congress to take action, according to a recent article in Federal News Network. Nearly 80 people have been killed in crashes with USPS contractor trucks over the past three years, a fatality rate that could be much higher noted the lawmakers.
In 2023, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) asked the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the safety of USPS freight contract trucking practices. The OIG reported that the Postal Service doesn’t have a single written policy that requires it to track accidents--and recommended that it establish one.
That was the impetus behind the bipartisan legislation known as Connolly’s Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act. It requires the postal service to collect and publicly report crash data for all vehicles transporting mail on an annual basis. The bill also requires postal service employees and contractors to report traffic crashes that result in injury or death within three days. The House of Representatives voted to pass the legislation. It next goes to the Senate for consideration before it’s presented to the president for signing into law.
If you have been injured in a road accident and suspect that it was due to negligence on the part of the other driver, a road flaw, or product malfunction in your vehicle, you might want to consider contacting a top Philadelphia trucking accident law firm to discuss your legal options. We are here to help you.