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Liability for Accidents Caused by Uber or Lyft Drivers

When an accident is caused by an Uber or Lyft driver, who is liable for property damage and physical injuries?

Liability for Accidents Caused by Uber or Lyft Drivers - Sand Law LLC - Minnesota Rideshare Accident Attorneys

Explaining the Ridesharing Business Model

Accidents involving ridesharing apps, like Uber and Lyft, can be much more complicated than regular car accident claims. There are a lot of variables involved in ridesharing accidents, like whether there’s someone in the car, who is involved in the accident, or if the Uber or Lyft app is active or not.

Uber and Lyft drivers must be “active” in the app to receive requests for pickup. They can drive around on “active” without having anyone actually in their car. This poses the question of what happens if an accident occurs when they’re “active”?

Uber and Lyft drivers are considered independent contractors by their companies. This means that they don’t receive the same benefits that a full-time employee would normally receive. However, these companies do provide insurance in case an accident occurs in the driver’s vehicle. Uber, for example, provides a low level liability insurance to their drivers, but only while the app is on.

Accidents Caused by Other Drivers When You’re a Ridesharing Passenger

Like a regular accident, you may be able to recover damages by making a claim against the at-fault driver. These cases may seem straightforward. However, you’ll still want to hire an attorney to make sure you receive the full compensation you deserve.

In accidents like this, where the driver isn’t at-fault, there may still be some compensation that you’re able to recover from Uber or Lyft’s insurance. If the person who hit you doesn’t have insurance, Uber or Lyft’s insurance would cover you.

Accidents Caused by Ridesharing Drivers

Accidents caused by ridesharing drivers are a little bit less straightforward. For example, these types of cases include the insurance companies of the driver and the ridesharing service themselves. These accidents are more complicated because there are a few different scenarios in which a driver could get into an accident.

The case will be affected by whether or not the ridesharing app is on or offline. When a driver is offline, they will not be covered by anything other than their own insurance. If the app is online and the driver is waiting for a ride, Uber’s insurance covers $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

If the app is online and the driver is en route to pick up a passenger or they have the passenger in their car, both Uber and Lyft provide $1,000,000 in primary third-party liability coverage.

Who Pays if You’re Hit by an Uber or Lyft Driver?

Deciding who’s at-fault in a ridesharing accident can be tricky, though it’s pretty similar to identifying fault in a standard car accident case. Determining fault means figuring out who was negligent and who caused the accident. Negligence comes in many forms, like speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, drunk driving, or violating traffic laws.

What to Do After an Uber/Lyft Accident

After getting into an accident, it’s important to take care of yourself first. Make sure to call 911 immediately if you’ve sustained any injuries. You should get checked out by a doctor, even if you don’t think you’re injured. You’ll want to make sure you request a full medical evaluation, just to rule out the potential of any internal injuries. Seeing a doctor is also important for documentation purposes. If you’re injured and you don’t see a doctor right away, your claim may not be taken as seriously.

If you can, record a statement for yourself after the accident has occurred. You’ll also want to take notes of anything that the at-fault party says, and make sure to take their insurance information as well. Talk to any witnesses if you can, and take pictures of your vehicle to document any damage that may have occurred.

It’s also important that you don’t settle your case until you speak with an attorney. Insurance companies will try to get you to settle for as little as possible, and an experienced attorney can help you get a higher settlement.

Can I Sue Uber or Lyft?

In the simplest of terms, not really. If you’re involved in an accident where your Uber or Lyft driver is at fault, you will likely be suing the driver specifically, and receiving compensation from their insurance company. Uber and Lyft’s insurance really only comes into play when the driver is at-fault.

Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today

Getting into a car accident can be terrifying, and figuring out the legal steps afterward can be daunting. Here at Sand Law LLC, we want to get you the compensation that you deserve for your ridesharing car accident. If you or someone you love has been injured in a ridesharing accident, please contact one of our experienced attorneys as soon as possible. You can contact us online or at 651-291-7263.