Helping Victims Injured in Uber or Lyft Accidents Get Compensation
Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft have become much more common in the past decade. These companies employ independent contractors to drive people around in their own personal vehicles. These drivers are much like taxi drivers, except they use their own vehicles instead of a company car. For that reason in particular, it can be confusing to get into an accident with one of these drivers. What kind of insurance coverage do they have, and how are these accidents different from regular car accidents?
Uber recently released a report that stated they took 3.1 million trips every single day in the United States from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2018, for a grand total of 2.3 billion trips. In another study, it was mentioned that there were 107 total deaths accounted for by the company in the same two years. But what they curiously left out was how many non-fatal accidents occured. With so many trips, and with the deliberate leaving out of information, it makes you wonder how many serious Uber and Lyft accidents actually occur.
While the number of these drivers on the road grows, there’s bound to be an increase in the number of accidents as well. So, what happens if you get into an accident with a Uber or Lyft driver? What if you’re a passenger in their car when they get into an accident?
Explaining the Ridesharing Business Model
Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft function like a taxi service. They offer rides through an app that connects the driver with the passenger, making them more accessible than a taxi service. They also function pretty much everywhere across the country, so getting an Uber is a lot easier than getting a taxi. However, because of their business model, getting into an accident with one of these drivers can be complicated.
Depending on your case and the type of accident that you get into, you may be filing your lawsuit against the driver’s personal insurance, or the company that they work for. This all depends on whether or not the driver is “online” when the accident occurs as well as whether or not you’re a passenger. “Online” refers to the driver’s activity on the app. If they’re logged in waiting for a ride request or have a passenger in their car, they’re considered “online”.
Types of Ridesharing Accidents
There are a few different circumstances in which you could get into an accident involving a ridesharing driver.
You could be the passenger in their vehicle when they get into an accident (of their own fault or the opposing driver’s fault). If the ridesharing driver was at fault for your accident, the company they work for may provide compensation for your injuries in the form of a settlement or in the case of a winning trial.
You could also be hit by a rideshare driver. If they’re at-fault for the accident, you would take legal action against the driver. If the driver was “online” and working—whether they have a passenger or not—Uber or Lyft may be involved in your lawsuit as well.
Do Ridesharing Drivers Have Insurance?
Uber and Lyft share a similar business model and a similar insurance plan for their drivers. In the scenario in which a driver gets into an accident while their app is offline, the driver’s own insurance would be used to cover the damages that occur because of the accident. Uber or Lyft would likely not be involved at all in a case like this.
However, if the driver’s app is “online” at the time of your accident, the employee is technically on the clock, meaning their own insurance as well as Uber or Lyft’s supplementary insurance may apply.
Uber’s insurance covers $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident (unless somehow the accident doesn’t qualify).
If a passenger is in the Uber at the time of the accident, Uber would then cover up to $1,000,000 in third-party liability, any uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury, as well as comprehensive and collision compensation up to the cash value of the car. However, these amounts come with asterisks that aren’t exactly made clear on their website.
While Uber does offer insurance, it’s important to remember that it is supplementary and is usually only used if the driver’s personal insurance doesn’t cover all the damages that occurred.
Receiving Compensation
A car accident can leave you feeling hopeless; with injuries and a mountain of medical debt, it can be hard to look toward the future. At Sand Law, we want to help you with this feeling of anxiety about your future. With an experienced attorney by your side, you can recover the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
When it comes to economic damages, you can receive compensation for any medical bills that are related to your injury. This includes emergency room visits, ambulance rides, therapy, surgery costs, doctors visits, and any other treatment or care you needed for your injuries. You can also receive compensation for any wages you lost while you were out of work, and any wages you may lose in the future because of your injury.
You can also receive compensation for loss of earning capacity, for example if you are unable to perform the job that you used to because of your injury or if you can no longer work your way up in your career. You could also receive compensation for pain and suffering. This number will be calculated by taking a look at the change in your quality of life before and after the accident. The greater that change is, the more compensation you’re likely to receive.
Contact a St. Paul Rideshare Accident Attorney
Hiring a personal injury attorney is your best bet at winning your case or receiving the best settlement offer possible. An experienced attorney can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf and, in general, take some of the weight off of your shoulders so you can focus on receiving treatment and recovering.
The attorneys at Sand Law have years of experience working on ridesharing accident cases, and we’re ready and willing to help you take on your case. For more information and a free case evaluation, please contact us online or at 651-291-7263.