SD California Ridesharing Crash Legal Help

Uber & Lyft: Legal Recourse for a Ridesharing Crash in California

The model of ridesharing services is relatively new. As a result, legal issues surrounding Uber and Lyft crashes are especially complex. Victims may face a variety of obstacles when seeking a financial recovery for their injuries. In many cases, hiring experienced legal representation is the best way to stand up to these companies and win.

If you were injured or a loved one died in a car crash involving a rideshare vehicle, we can help. The attorneys at CaseyGerry assisted hundreds of people with obtaining compensation for their related medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more after they were hurt in a vehicle collision. We know the ins and outs of the laws governing California motorists as well as the nuances associated with Uber and Lyft crashes. Visit our ridesharing crash cases page for a sample of past settlements and jury verdicts we have obtained for our clients who were injured as a passenger using a shared ride.

California Rideshare Accident Law

California’s rideshare law is meant to protect those injured in Uber and Lyft accidents. When Uber and Lyft began operating in California, the companies offered insurance coverage on a very limited basis. People who were injured in accidents often did not get the compensation that they deserved for their injuries and damages.

As a result, California put laws in place to dictate insurance coverage requirements. However, these laws still do not make collecting compensation from Uber and Lyft an easy process, especially for injured parties who are not represented by a rideshare accident attorney.

Insurance Coverage And The Driver’s Rideshare App

The most important fact in determining insurance coverage is whether or not the driver’s rideshare app was turned on at the time of the accident. If the driver is not logged into the Uber or Lyft app, the rideshare company has no liability, and regular California car accident laws apply. This means that the driver’s personal policy would be in effect.

If the driver is logged into the app at the time of the accident, the driver’s policy may cover your injuries and damages. If, like most drivers’ insurance coverage, the driver’s policy does not cover accidents that occur when the app is turned on, the rideshare company’s policy should then be in effect for your accident.

Rideshare Accident Liability

To further complicate insurance coverage matters, if the accident fault is disputed, another driver’s insurance company may also be involved in the claims process. Insurance companies do not want to pay accident claims, so they frequently deny liability and shift the blame to other parties. Answers to the following questions will help determine accident liability and insurance coverage.

• Was the app turned on when the accident occurred?
• Had the rideshare driver accepted a job at the time of the accident?
• Who was at fault for the accident?
• Do the responsible party’s insurance policy limits cover all of your injuries and damages?
• Were you in the rideshare vehicle at the time of the accident?
• Were you an occupant of another vehicle involved in an accident with a rideshare driver?
• Were you a bicyclist or pedestrian struck by a rideshare driver’s automobile?
• Were you driving an Uber or Lyft at the time of the accident?

What To Do After An Uber Or Lyft Accident

After an accident, you should seek medical care for your injuries, even if you think you have only suffered minor injuries that do not require treatment. Many people experience a delayed onset of symptoms after an accident, and they fail to seek treatment until they realize that their injuries are more serious than they suspected. Unfortunately, delayed medical treatment can lead to more severe health problems.

If possible, take photos of the accident scene. These photos can be used as evidence to determine what caused the accident and who is liable for your injuries and damages. As mentioned above, insurance companies often try to escape liability for car accident claims. Recovering compensation can be easier, however, if you have photos and other evidence to support your claim.

It is important to get contact information from everyone who witnessed the accident, including the rideshare driver. Their accounts of the accident may be necessary to prove liability. You should also write down your recollection of the accident events.

Do not speak with insurance representatives who contact you before consulting with an attorney. Insurance adjusters may contact you to ask questions about accident details and the injuries you sustained. They also might pressure you to accept a settlement that does not fully compensate you for your injuries and damages.

Communicating with insurance companies is risky because their goal is to find an excuse to deny or reduce your claim’s value. After a rideshare accident, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. An attorney will help to accurately value your losses and handle all communications with insurance companies.

Common Causes Of Rideshare Accidents

After an accident, your attorney will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of your accident. Evidence, including information from the driver’s rideshare app history, witness statements, and the police report gathered during the investigation, will help to prove your claim.

Common causes and contributing factors in rideshare accidents include the following:

• Uber and Lyft driver distractions – Rideshare drivers frequently try to multitask while they are working. They make money when they accept jobs, so they often do not take breaks to eat, answer text messages, and look at directions to their destinations. These distractions take their focus off of driving, frequently leading to driving errors and accidents.
• Drowsy driving – In an effort to prevent accidents caused by drowsy drivers, rideshare companies limit the number of hours that drivers are allowed to work without a break. Limiting those hours may be well-intended, but drivers often drive for rideshare companies as a second job, and they typically make the most money when they work late at night. These factors frequently lead to tired drivers and driving mistakes.
• Intoxicated drivers – Many California residents and visitors call Ubers and Lyfts because they do not want to drive after they’ve been drinking. Unfortunately, even though you can make sure that you do not get behind the wheel after drinking, you don’t have control over whether or not your rideshare driver is intoxicated.
• Speeding – Uber and Lyft drivers have an incentive to accept jobs and get people to their destinations as quickly as possible. In general, the more jobs they take, the more money they are paid. The problem with this compensation structure is that some drivers speed to their destinations to increase the number of jobs they can take. Speeding is a leading cause of automobile accidents in California.

Rideshare Accident Compensation

Rideshare companies are required to carry insurance policies with up to $1M in coverage for those injured in rideshare accidents. If you are involved in an Uber or Lyft accident, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, property damage, medical bills, and future medical expenses related to your accident injuries.

If your injuries prevented you from working, you might also be entitled to lost wages and lost future earnings. If you lost a loved one in a fatal rideshare accident, you and other surviving family members may pursue compensation under a wrongful death claim.

Decades of Experience

For the better part of a century, CaseyGerry represented those hurt or killed as a result of someone else’s negligence. Our team has vast experience with pressing insurance companies to pay the benefits people deserve. As insurance is a primary issue in ridesharing crash cases, this knowledge is of particular importance. We deal with the insurance companies and file suit when necessary to ensure our clients receive maximum compensation.

We welcome you to contact CaseyGerry at (619) 238-1811 to discuss your situation. You can also fill out the form below to get started. We can discuss what happened to you, the next steps, and what you can expect.