Rideshare Accident Lawyers

Rideshare services have become an important part of many people’s lives. There is no longer the need to wait on hold for a local taxi service only to wait for a mystery amount of time before your ride shows up. After a night of going out on the town, now all you need to do is fire up the Uber or other rideshare app and you have a ride in a matter of minutes. It has become so convenient, people who do not use their cars very often are giving up that monthly bill in favor of using rideshare services. However, what happens when you are using a rideshare service and your driver is in an accident? What if you are in an accident with a rideshare driver?

What is Rideshare?

If you typically drive yourself or live in a smaller town, you may not be all that familiar with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. Basically, you download an app on your phone that allows you to order a ride using the GPS capabilities of the phone. The driver will arrive right at the spot you are standing and unlike a random taxi, you have the driver’s car and personal information right on the app to ensure you are getting into the right vehicle.

Another convenient factor in using these services is that you no longer have to worry about having cash on you when you need a ride. The apps store your credit card information and bill the card automatically once the ride has been concluded. If you want to tip a little extra, you can also do that right on the app.

Rideshare Vs. Taxis

Taxis are considered commercial vehicles and significant insurance policies are required by the business owner to keep the company running. In just about every state, there are significant regulations to ensure customers are protected, something that is not the case for rideshare services.

Rideshare services are not considered transportation but rather software services. As such, they do not have nearly the oversight the taxi business is subject to. In many cases, rideshare drivers are not “trained” drivers but someone looking to make a little extra cash, so they fire up the driver app and pick up rides whenever they can. Unlike a driver working for a major taxi company, rideshare drivers are considered independent contractors who have their own insurance (drivers are required to carry a $1 million insurance policy).

Are Rideshare Accidents Common?

Common might be a strong word, but the accident rates across the country have had a noticeable increase since rideshare services started almost a decade ago. In 2018, the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State published a study diving into this particular subject. This University of Chicago study was conducted in conjunction with researchers from Rice University. The study concluded that since rideshare service came into existence, traffic death rates had increased by roughly two to three percent in the United States. That may not be a significant number to some, but if you focus those increases solely on rideshares, this is clearly a problem and something about which people using these services need to be aware.

Do I Need an Attorney for a Rideshare Accident?

Any accident can be daunting in terms of recovering costs and damages, but this is more so the case for someone experiencing injuries when they are in a rideshare car. Even though the drivers are required to have $1 million in coverage, the process of recovering costs and well as pain and suffering can be quite challenging for someone trying to do this without any legal experience.

While you are recovering, chances are you would not be able to conduct key activities to ensure a proper settlement. By using a rideshare accident attorney, he or she can take care of all these tasks why you concentrate on recovering from your injuries. Some of the tasks a rideshare accident attorney can conduct on your behalf are:

• Gather all evidence related to the accident, including but not limited to video/photo surveillance of the incident, police reports, and eyewitness statements.
• Handle all discussions with the rideshare company, the insurance companies, and their legal representation to negotiate your settlement
• Work with medical representatives to ensure payment based on the recovery from your lawsuit
• If the defendant is not willing to settle, your rideshare accident attorney will prepare the case for trial

Other Reasons You May Need a Rideshare Attorney

• If you are in the car but the driver does not have his or her app on, the rideshare company has no liability and the car owner’s personal insurance company will be liable
• If you are in an accident with a rideshare driver in your vehicle and the rideshare driver does not have a passenger, his or her insurance is responsible.

If you have recently been in an accident as a rideshare passenger or with another vehicle that was operating as a rideshare vehicle, you may need a rideshare accident attorney. If you would like to discuss your case free of charge and with no obligation to use our services, call us at 855-633-0888. If you would like to read more about our legal services before consulting with us, click here.