Uber & Lyft Accidents on the Raise, Crucial Steps to Take! 

Ridesharing has become ever more popular in America. The idea is simple: turn private cars into public transports. Nearly anyone can become a rideshare driver. All one needs is a car and a driver’s license. Uber and Lyft are the 2 companies that dominate the industry. Their app allows people who want to travel inexpensively and expeditiously to get a car anywhere at any time.

The convenience of ridesharing has not come without some disadvantages. The ease with which individuals can drive for Uber has led to an increase in traffic accidents. If you have been injured in an accident caused by an Uber driver, it is important to know your rights and legal options.

Ridesharing Accidents

There has been an increase in traffic accidents in places with a significant Uber presence. This is an established fact. Research indicates two main reasons why this is so. First, most Uber drivers do the job part time to make ends meet. They tend to start their driving shift after working 1 or 2 other jobs, which means they are tired when they get behind the wheel. Second, ridesharing drivers must settle on a fee with their customers before the journey. It is usually low, as passengers have plenty of other cars to choose from. This gives Uber drivers every incentive to get to their destination quickly so that they can collect another fare. Some drivers are willing to speed and to engage in other reckless behavior to collect as many fares as they can on a given shift.

What to do After a Ridesharing Accident

An accident is a sudden, violent, jarring event. It will leave you stunned and shaken. It will take you a moment to recover your bearings, but once you have you should take the following actions:

1. Check yourself and others

You may not feel pain. However, you should ensure that you are not bleeding excessively by rubbing your hands over your body. If you are immobilized in any way, do not force yourself to move. You should instead sit still until emergency services arrive.

2. Dial 911

Call emergency services immediately. Do not assume someone else will. The 911 operator will ask you questions about the condition of the people in your car. Try to be as detailed as you can in your answers. Do not worry about delaying emergency vehicles. The operator will dispatch ambulance and police vehicles to your location soon after your call.

3. Exchange information

You will need to exchange personal contact and insurance information with the Uber driver. Say nothing about how the accident happened. Even if you believe the accident was their fault, you should keep that view to yourself for the moment.

4. Take photographs

If you can move around, you should use your cell phone to take photographs of the damaged car and the accident scene. Try to snap pictures from as many angles as you can.

5. Have yourself examined

Even if you feel okay, you should go to the hospital for an examination. Only a physician has the expertise and equipment to detect an injury that you may neither see nor feel. If you have been hurt badly in the accident, you should take photographs of the cuts and bruises before they are cleaned, treated, and stitched.

6. Contact an attorney

You should call a lawyer. Indeed, you should speak to a lawyer before you report the accident to your health insurance company. The priority of the insurance company is to find ways to minimize the amount of money they must pay you. Your attorney will be the only one looking after your interests and you should seek their advice first.

Why You Need a Ridesharing Accident Lawyer

Uber has a $1 million pay-out policy that kicks in when a passenger is injured in an accident involving one of its vehicles. Whether you get this money depends on the circumstances of the accident. It is the practice of the company to find reasons for denying accident victims the entire sum. Here is where a ridesharing accident lawyer can come in and help you.

If the insurance policy held by the ridesharing driver offers you a sum of money that covers your medical expenses and lost wages and adequately compensates you for the physical and emotional turmoil you have had to endure, then your lawyer may advise you to accept.

If the driver’s insurance is not adequately insured, then the ridesharing company will need to pay. The latter may attempt to offer you a small sum of money to prevent you from pursuing further claims. Do not agree to anything until your attorney has had a chance to review their offer. In fact, you should refer all correspondence and communication with Uber to your personal injury lawyer.

The Consequences of a Serious Accident

If the ridesharing accident left you seriously injured, you might have to undergo a series of painful and invasive surgeries to make you well again. You will then need to spend more months recovering. All the while your bills will continue to pile up and you will not bring in any income. If the accident was serious enough to leave you with a permanent disability, you may have to give up your livelihood. This will put tremendous strain and stress on your family. The trauma and financial distress caused by such accidents have even caused families to break up.

You should not have to shoulder the burden of your injuries alone. Those who caused them should be held accountable.

How a Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyer Can Help

West Coast trial lawyers help ordinary people get justice from big companies like Uber. A Los Angeles Uber accident attorney has the expertise and experience to take on the ridesharing giant and to get you the compensation that your injuries and suffering merit.

For years, Uber has argued that its drivers are not employees; that they are independent contractors for whom the company is not responsible. Judges and juries across the country have disagreed with this argument and have awarded Uber accident victims millions of dollars in compensation.
If Uber refuses to pay their standard $1 million settlement or a greater sum if it is called for, then you will need to sue them. Building a case against the company will take time, but an experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to do it.

Your lawyer will send their in-house private investigator to gather the eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence you need to prove your case against Uber. This will include re-interviewing accident witnesses. The police may not have gathered the most important statements. Some people do not like dealing with law enforcement, but they don’t mind speaking to civilian investigators. It may be possible to get statements that prove the culpability of the driver. Indeed, you may even run across a witness who captured the entire accident on their cell phone. This can go a long way toward proving your version of events.

Your legal team will also gather statements from medical experts that explain the nature and extent of your injuries and how they will affect your future.

If you have been injured in an Uber accident, you need legal representation. West Coast trial lawyers can help.