Uber and Lyft Accidents
Personal injury and property loss claims related to Uber and Lyft are particularly complex. These cases often result in multiple claims against the company, the offending driver, and even other drivers. If you were injured as a passenger during an Uber or Lyft ride, you will be covered by their commercial liability coverage.
If the responsibility for the accident was in the hands of another driver, you can file a claim against the at-fault driver. However, if the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, Uber and Lyft have policies that may cover damages up to $1 million per accident.
The damages available to victims in Uber and Lyft accidents may include:
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Loss of consortium
- Physical therapy
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
If you've been injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, call us immediately. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer 100% case evaluations.
Accident Stages: What You Need to Know as a Driver
Your ability to claim compensation will depend on your driver status at the time of the accident. Rideshare companies divide compensation by driver stages, which are as follows:
-First stage
In this stage, you are connected to your app but have no customers in your queue. If an accident occurs while you are in this stage, then the rideshare company is responsible for $100,000 for personal injury expenses and $25,000 for property damage. It should be noted that if you are found at fault for the accident, you will need to pay for your own repairs.
-Second stage
If you are connected to your app and receive a ride request at the time of the accident, then you are in the second stage. You need not have picked up the passenger to receive the benefits of this stage. This includes $1 million in liability coverage. You will be able to collect this regardless of the other driver's coverage.
-Third stage
If you have a passenger in the car with you when you are in an accident, then you are eligible for $1 million in liability coverage.
Why You Must Defend Your Rights
The law that makes Uber and Lyft drivers employees was the result of a long struggle by people like you. Although the matter is not completely resolved and is being contested by the rideshare industry in court, you should enjoy the benefits of the law while it is in effect. This is especially true if you were seriously injured.
A serious car accident can put you in the hospital for quite some time. You may need to undergo a series of surgeries and extensive treatments to fully recover. Such procedures are not cheap. At the end of your hospital stay, you may be faced with a large medical bill. If your injuries were serious enough, you may need to remain on medication and hire a home care provider. If the accident has made it impossible for you to return to work immediately, you will also need financial help to survive.
It is right for you to vigorously defend your personal injury claims. A Los Angeles ride-sharing app accident lawyer can help you do that.
Getting What is Rightfully Yours
Although time and the law have been catching up with the quickly expanding rideshare industry, its two largest companies continue to fight to reduce the amount of money they must pay drivers injured in an accident while working.
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The company you work for will deploy several tactics to undermine your claim, the most common of which is to make the accident seem as though it is the result of your negligence or recklessness. Putting you at fault for the accident reduces the amount of compensation they will need to pay. You must not let them get away with this. Hiring a Los Angeles ride-sharing involved accident lawyer is a necessary first step to getting what is rightfully yours.
Evidence Plays a Crucial Role
The first thing your Los Angeles ride-sharing car wreck lawyer will do is gather all the evidence related to the accident. If you are certain that the accident was the fault of the other driver, then your attorney will seek the evidence necessary to prove that. To make this happen, your legal counsel would bring in professional investigators. The latter will visit the scene of the collision.
They will review and make copies of any traffic camera footage available. The investigators will also interview the passengers in your car at the time and people who witnessed the crash. In the latter case, they may find someone who videoed the entire accident on their cell phone camera.
Such footage can go a long way toward confirming your version of events. Intricate lawsuits often require an expert to use forensic evidence produced by the crash and develop a computer-based simulation of it. Such programs are admissible in court; and again, they can be potent in backing up your claims.
A ride-sharing accident attorney in Los Angeles will also speak to the medical team that treated you. They will review the records and notes of the physician who managed your care to determine the extent of your debilitation and the prospects for your recovery.
All this information will be used in the fight for your right to a fair and adequate settlement. You should not allow a billion-dollar company to bully and short-change you. If you have been seriously injured as a rideshare driver, you should stop at nothing to get the money you are entitled to.
