A 13-year-old boy took his sister's truck and struck a postal worker's mail truck on Monday.
The accident ahppened at about 8:15 p.m. in Angelino Heights at the intersection of Calumet Ave. and Douglas St.
The impact caused the postal worker, a woman in her 30's, to be ejected from the postal truck. The extent of her injuries has not been reported.
The boy fled the scene of the accident, but was located with the assistance of witnesses. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the boy took his sister's truck without permission. The boy was booked on felony hit-and-run charges.
Who would be liable for the postal woker's injuries?
Since the postal worker was injured while in the course and scope of employment, she would be covered under the worker's compensation system. Separate from that, she has the right to make a "third party" claim against the boy who struck her. Because the boy did not have permission to drive his sister's truck, any insurance policy on the sister's truck would probably not provide coverage. The truck's insurance coverage would only apply if the boy was a "permissive driver' of the truck.
Other parties potentialy on the hook for the postal worker's injuries would be the boy's parents, as well as the sister, if she allowed her brother access to the car keys, and knew or should have known that he may take the keys and drive her truck.