Being a passenger caught in a car accident is always a tricky situation, especially the car was part of a service you are paying for. If you are involved in a car accident involving an Uber, Lyft or other ride-sharing platform, it is important to learn about your rights and your legal options.
The car accident lawyers in Savannah at Roden Law are committed to helping you pursue maximum compensation for the injuries that you sustain in a ride-sharing accident. Find out what you can do when you are in an Uber or Lyft car accident below.
What to Do Immediately After an Accident
The immediate moments after a car accident can be confusing, but they can have a lasting impact on your claim. If you are involved in an accident, follow these steps to help protect your claim:
- Report the accident – Be sure that you report the accident to the local law enforcement agency and do not rely on the rideshare driver’s assertions that he or she will take care of the damages.
- Check for injuries – Check if you or anyone else involved in the accident was injured and render aid.
- Gather information about the identity of the driver – Exchange information with the rideshare driver, including his or her name, the name of any other driver involved in the accident and the name of the rideshare company. Get the driver’s contact information.
- Look for eyewitnesses – See if anyone else stopped at the accident scene and saw it. Ask for this person’s name and contact information.
- Write down a description of all vehicles involved in the accident – Write down the license plate number, make, model and year of every vehicle involved in the accident. Get the VIN of each vehicle if you can.
- Exchange insurance information – Write down auto insurance carrier names, policy numbers and phone numbers of the drivers involved in the accident.
- Take pictures – Take pictures of the rideshare vehicle and any other vehicles involved in the accident. Take pictures of the accident scene. If you were a passenger of the rideshare vehicle, take a screenshot of your ride receipt.
- Seek medical treatment – If you were injured in the accident, seek prompt medical attention.
Having the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer could make a positive impact on the potential outcome of your case. Contact a lawyer from our firm today for more information on how he or she can help.
Can I Sue the Company?
Knowing the success and ample resources of these companies, many accident victims may initially wonder if they can directly sue Uber, Lyft or another ridesharing company. However, these drivers are generally considered independent contractors, which often protects the ridesharing company from liability stemming from the accident.
In these cases, if someone is sued, it is usually the driver, not the rideshare company itself. Most often the rideshare company is not considered legally responsible for the accident.
What Are the Companies’ Insurance Policies?
You may have heard of Uber’s $1 million insurance policy, but that does not mean you will get $1 million if you are involved in an accident involving one of the company’s drivers. Uber and Lyft have similar insurance policies that provide different types and amounts of coverage, depending on where the driver was in the process.
These policies may provide for the following coverage in these situations:
- App turned off – No rideshare insurance applies, and the driver should be covered by his or her own personal policy.
- Waiting for a passenger – During this period, there may be contingent insurance. Lyft and Uber provide up to $50,000 per person in bodily injury coverage and up to $100,000 total bodily injury coverage per accident, plus up to $25,000 in property damage during this period.
- Match notification/driving passenger – The $1 million liability coverage usually kicks in during this period.
Contact an Experienced Lawyer After a Rideshare Accident
Accidents involving a rideshare accident are often much more complicated than other types of accidents. The driver’s private insurance may initially deny the claim and the rideshare app insurance may do the same. In the meantime, you are left dealing with injuries, mounting medical bills and possibly a severe injury that prevents you from going back to work. When you are facing obstacles like these, it is important to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer who has experience with many types of car crash cases.
The car accident team at Roden Law is here to guide you through the rideshare accident claims process. We can review the details of your accident and develop a legal strategy based on the strengths of your case. We will also conduct an investigation to help establish liability.
Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation case review. Our contingency fee policy means that you will not pay attorney fees unless we are able to obtain compensation for you.