Taking an Uber or a Lyft ride is just a daily commute for so many of us, it’s hard to imagine something going wrong. Unfortunately, that’s all too common.
The two companies are believed to have added as much as 1,100 additional traffic deaths a year since 2011, and that’s no joke!
People need to be held responsible for their actions, and the victims need to be taken care of. Let’s talk about how you can find the best rideshare accident attorney to get you the right settlement for your claim.
I Was In an Uber/Lyft Accident. Now What?
If you were involved in an accident during a fared ride with a rideshare company, you may be entitled to significant compensation. If you were injured, received medical bills, and/or experienced any pain or trauma, there are grounds for compensation.
If you’re injured in a taxi or a bus ride, you’re guaranteed coverage for any issues. They have what’s called Passenger Transportation insurance. It gets trickier with Uber and Lyft accidents.
Uber and Lyft get out of this by making sure that they have minimum liability coverage for the uninsured or underinsured, they just made it very difficult to access, which makes your right to compensation slightly more difficult. Let’s talk about some tips.
Know Who Is At Fault
If you were a witness, your testimony could be critical to getting you the help you need. If it was your rideshare driver, a truck passing by, or the person who hit your driver, speak up. This is important to know so the right insurance company can cover you for any costs associated with the accident.
If the driver was being unsafe, it is important that you keep this in mind. If you were on your phone or not looking during the time of the accident, don’t make anything up and don’t parrot what the driver said. Tell the truth.
Get Medical Help
This is a general rule of thumb for any type of incident that could result in an injury.
If you were injured, go to the hospital. Get medical treatment. Even if you are uninsured or underinsured and worried about the cost, this is still crucial not just for your claim, but also for your health. Worry about the bill later, seek treatment now.
Even if you are unsure if you need any medical help, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Refusing help on the scene of the accident and then going in for treatment a week later can complicate the legal process, so the sooner you get checked out, the better. If you were a passenger in the vehicle, you were not at fault, making it somebody else’s responsibility to cover these costs.
Report the Accident
Report what you saw to both the police, the insurance companies (if they contact you), and also in the app. Uber and Lyft both have places in their apps for you to report an accident when it happens.
Report exactly what you saw, as you saw it, and be as consistent as possible with everyone you’re reporting it to. If your driver says something conflicting with what it was you saw, don’t let that change your mind if you are confident in your memory of the incident.
Document as many details as you can about the accident. If a driver was using their phone, where they were looking, where they were on the road, if they didn’t stop at a stop sign, where the other car was, and anything else you can think of.
Once you’ve done all of this, the best thing you can do is contact an experienced attorney to help you with your claim. Be sure to report everything to them as you did everywhere else.
Choosing a Rideshare Accident Attorney
It’s been about a decade since Uber and Lyft hit the streets, but they’re still fairly new. This makes the legal lines for them rather blurry compared with older modes of transportation like taxis.
They are classified differently, they have different business structures, they have different legal limitations, their drivers are not employees and do not hold special certifications, and many more differences that are unique to the rideshare industry.
Not only that, but since 2014, Uber and Lyft fought in several court battles where they denied any and all liability for the actions of their drivers who provide rideshare services on their platforms, further complicating the legal process for these claims. They even denied liability in cases of death.
Because of this, you really need an attorney who has experience with rideshare accident claims! Find the best accident attorneys in your area to get you compensated for your experience.
It isn’t right for giant corporations to leave you in the dust when their drivers are negligent, even if they refuse to call their drivers their employees or even workers.
Their drivers’ actions represent the company, whether they like it or not, so don’t put it off any longer. Get the legal help you need and don’t leave yourself to pay for someone else’s mistake.
Getting Started
A rideshare accident attorney is your best bet to making sure you are fairly compensated for your suffering. Don’t be nervous, you are not at fault and you deserve proper treatment because of that.
Also, don’t wait. The sooner you reach out for experienced legal help, the more quickly and effectively they can help!
If you’re interested in learning more about personal injuries and what to do when you’ve experienced them, check out our post about other types of injury claims.
