In case you have been involved and injured in an accident caused by an Uber or Lyft or any
other cab or rideshare driver, determining the liability of the drivers is extremely important in
assessing your damages and settlement award.
Five Important Steps in an Uber/ Lyft Accident
- Call 911: Call the police to write a report immediately and to make sure that the driver
does not run away. Ask them to send an ambulance as well in case you have some physical
injuries, take note of the physical injuries, and get a medical report of yourself made as soon
as possible. After an accident, most people have a rush of adrenaline and don’t recognize or
feel any pain or injuries until the adrenaline wears off. - Take Photos: Take as many photographs and evidence of the scene of accident as
possible. Note the details of the driver’s licence, phone number, number plate, and insurance
policy papers. - Witness Information: Ask the people around who have witnessed the scene and note their
names and numbers to later give evidence to the police officer for inquiry. Preparing and
producing witnesses can be very important in a personal injury case. - Journal the Details: Write down as many details of the accident as possible while your
memory of the incident is fresh. Some details to consider include the place of accident, where
each car was coming from and to, the estimated speed of each car, what was the actual cause
of the collision, how the driver was negligent, how many people were around, what time of
day it was, how much damage did your car sustain, what were your physical injuries at the
time of collision and shortly thereafter. - Medical Care: After a collision, it’s extremely important to monitor your injuries. If you
have a severe injury, such as a fracture, call an ambulance immediately. For less severe
injuries, it would be helpful to visit an urgent care center or primary care physician to observe
and treat your injuries. Getting an early record of any injuries sustained will help prove your
damages at a later stage of your claim.
These steps can be very useful and instrumental in winning the case and getting damages of
all the sorts.
When should I hire a lawyer for an Uber/Lyft accident?
You should speak with a lawyer immediately after your accident and certainly before
speaking with any insurance representatives or adjusters. The attorneys at our firm will
provide a free, no obligation consultation immediately. We will provide you with a free
evaluation and advise you of the next steps in your case and make sure you receive the best
medical care with no out-of-pocket costs.
After retaining our firm, we will take care of all the filings and formalities.
Who is liable to pay damages for your personal injury? Uber/ Lyft or your cab driver?
Generally, a driver’s car insurance policy pays for your injury but sometimes they have an
exception of “business use” which excludes the liability of the insurance company if the
driver was driving for profit or for business use.
A rideshare company such as Uber or Lyft carries a third party liability insurance which
covers the insurance of personal injuries for upto $1 million and property damage for an auto
accident. But these policies kick in only after liability/fault is established.
What if the driver who hit my Uber/Lyft ran away or the driver does not have
insurance coverage?
In such scenarios, you can claim damages through a ride-share company’s uninsured or
underinsured coverage which covers upto $1 million for personal injuries.
As per the policies of Uber and Lyft, they do not engage drivers as their ‘employees’ but
rather as ‘independent contractors’. So, going after the company would be a last resort.
Why should you hire an attorney for an injury from an Uber/ Lyft auto accident?
Any kind of personal injury or car accident proceedings require a lot of time, energy,
knowledge, and effort, which is a substantial responsibility in addition to caring for your
injuries. Further, in this scenario, several different insurance companies are involved and
making them accept fault/responsibility is a difficult task. A lot of procedural formalities and
deadlines are to be met and can become quite cumbersome for someone who has no exposure
to the process. A personal injury lawyer will come to your rescue and make sure that you
don’t have to worry about any legal aspects of you claim while winning maximum
compensation for your injuries and losses.