When an auto crash involves rideshare service drivers, recovering for your injuries can be much more complicated than your standard car collision. You may need to file a claim against the driver, another motorist, or the rideshare company.
Rather than trying to unwind the complexities of a rideshare wreck on your own, you could enlist help from a Media Uber/Lyft accident lawyer with Dan Doyle Law Group.
Our hardworking car collision attorneys understand the state’s insurance requirements for rideshare drivers and services. They could guide you through the claims process, negotiate settlements on your behalf, and bring a lawsuit for compensation. Contact our firm today to discover more.
When people hire drivers through taxi companies, they are hiring professionals. These drivers are subject to state laws and regulations governing taxi services, which impact liability and place a higher burden on the driver.
However, rideshare drivers are not professional and do not have additional regulations. Rideshare companies require drivers to carry liability and collision insurance to cover them and their passengers in a crash.
Similarly, these companies have their own insurance policies to cover wrecks. The company’s insurance is typically secondary and only kicks in once the driver’s insurance limits are exhausted.
Although rideshare businesses carry insurance, they do not consider themselves transportation companies. Instead, they are technology providers connecting people to drivers who can provide them with rides. While this may seem like a technical detail, it has been enough to keep these businesses from getting classified as common carriers or taxis.
Additionally, rideshare drivers are not employees; they are independent contractors who use their own personal vehicles. This allows rideshare companies to distance themselves from driver behavior. Passengers who get hurt in an Uber or Lyft accident could contact a lawyer to help hold the rideshare company responsible for their contractor’s behavior.
Just because someone is an Uber or Lyft driver who uses their vehicle to provide rides does not mean that every crash they get into is a rideshare accident. For the company to share liability for a collision, the driver must be engaged in work at the time of the incident.
Drivers are considered on the job if they are carrying a passenger or driving to a destination to pick up a passenger. Similarly, they are working when the app is active and looking for people to pick up. Under any of these circumstances, the rideshare company may share fault for an accident.
Fortunately, if someone is in a wreck with a rideshare driver, the driver’s insurance policies should provide coverage. A Media attorney who handles Uber and Lyft crash cases could help injured parties file a claim for compensation and navigate the legal process.
Rideshare passengers may not know how to react if someone else hits their Uber or Lyft vehicle. They should not rely on the rideshare driver to do their due diligence. If capable, passengers should gather the same information as in a regular car collision. This includes names of involved parties, contact information, and insurance of all drivers. They should also get witness names and contact information, if available. A Media lawyer could help their client by investigating and identifying the at-fault parties in an Uber or Lyft wreck.
Rideshare collisions complicate an already frustrating scenario, and companies seem to do their best to make the process even more difficult. Because of this, it is often a struggle for passengers and other drivers to recover for their injuries.
A Media Uber/Lyft accident lawyer could offer invaluable support to the hurt party. Call the Dan Doyle Law Group today to discuss your case with a seasoned personal injury attorney.