Over the past few years, we have seen a large increase in the number of rideshare vehicles on the road. Rather than hailing a cab or hopping onto a bus, individuals in need of transportation simply call for a ride using an application on their phones.
Lyft and Uber are rideshare companies that have greatly improved our transportation options across the United States. These companies provide quick and reliable transportation for individuals and small groups at the touch of an app. Unfortunately, these convenient services come with some complications.
Getting into a rideshare vehicle is entrusting a complete stranger with your safety. Like other vehicles on the road, these drivers can be involved in car accidents. When this happens, it is a more complex situation than a standard vehicle accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rideshare accident, call an attorney at Needaninjuryattorney.com as soon as possible. We will work diligently to ensure that you get the compensation you are entitled to.
Common Causes For Rideshare Accidents
Like most vehicle accidents, rideshare drivers risk being involved in accidents. Individuals who drive for a living are at an even higher risk due to various conditions of their job. Some of the most common causes of rideshare accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Inexperience behind the wheel
- Dangerous weather conditions
- Defective roadways
- Defective vehicle parts
- Poorly maintained vehicles
- Speeding
- Ignoring traffic control devices
- Driving in unfamiliar areas
Individuals who are injured in rideshare accidents might be able to recover compensation for damages they sustain. It is important for anyone injured in a rideshare accident to contact an attorney as soon as possible to explore which legal options are available for you to collect compensation for your damages. The lawyers at Needaninjuryattorney.com have the skills and resources needed to successfully pursue these types of complicated claims.
Recoverable Damages In A Rideshare Accident
Individuals who are injured in rideshare accidents may be able to recover compensation for the damages they sustained. Life-threatening injuries can have a damaging impact on a person’s life, forcing them to completely change how they perform even the simplest task. When individuals are forced out or work, and into medical treatment, they can go after responsible parties to recover compensation for their damages.
Some of the most common damages awarded for rideshare claims include:
Medical Expenses: Individuals who sustain injuries in rideshare accidents may be able to recover the costs for medical expenses. Medical expenses often include emergency room visits, doctor visit, and treatments for injuries. All testing, surgeries, and exams are medical expenses that can be awarded to injured parties.
Medical Maintenance Expenses: Individuals who sustain serious and life-changing injuries are able to recover costs for medical maintenance. These costs generally include medical equipment, therapies and rehabilitation, and medications to alleviate or treat injuries and their symptoms. Medical maintenance expenses generally included the costs for current and all future treatments and surgeries related to the injuries or conditions worsened or created by the rideshare accident.
Lost Wages: Individuals who are forced out of work due to their injuries can recover compensation for lost wages. These awards generally include current wages but can include lifetime earnings for individuals who are permanently disabled as a result of the rideshare accident. A financial expert is often needed to testify on behalf of the injured party as to what their earnings were expected to be for the remainder of their career, including inflation. At Needaninjuryattorney.com, our experienced rideshare attorneys will make sure an accurate calculation is included in the injured party’s demands.
Vocational Rehab: Individuals who desire to go back to work after their injuries, but are unable to return to the same line of work, are able to go through vocational rehab to find a new career. These costs can be awarded to injured parties through a rideshare accident claim. Hiring an attorney to assist you will help provide the best possible outcome for you.
Pain And Suffering: Injured claimants may be able to recover compensation for both physical and emotional pain and suffering. This compensation is awarded to injury victims who suffer daily as the result of the rideshare accident. They may experience physical pain or emotional trauma. These individuals are awarded compensation based on the extent of their injuries and how their daily lives are impacted.
Mental Anguish: Rideshare victims often suffer from anxiety, depression, feel hopeless, or shamed by their conditions. Judges are able to award rideshare victims compensation for the mental anguish they experience each day due to their accidents and injuries.
Compensation For Losses Experienced: Being involved in a rideshare accident can have a major impact on a person’s life. These individuals often experience problems in their relationships and are unable to participate in activities they enjoy. Judges recognize the impact rideshare accident injuries have on victims across the country. Individuals who are injured can recover compensation for the loss of companionship and loss of life enjoyment. It is imperative for you to speak with a rideshare accident attorney to ensure you recover the maximum amount of compensation available to you.
Property Damage: Although you may have been in a rideshare vehicle, you may have still had valuable personal items with you. Under certain circumstances, injured claimants are able to recover compensation for property damage sustained in the accident. This type of claim generally applies to drivers of vehicles in cars that are struck by rideshare drivers.
Punitive Damages: Individuals who are injured by negligent rideshare drivers may be able to recover punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are awarded to injury victims as a way to punish the negligent driver for their wrongdoing. These awards do not have to compensate for an injury victim for any loss. Each state has its own set guidelines for awarding punitive damages.
In order to recover the maximum amount of compensation for your case, it is imperative for you to contact a rideshare attorney as soon as possible. The rideshare attorneys at Needaninjuryattorney.com work on behalf of injured clients to obtain fair and full compensation for their traumatic and life-changing experiences.
What To Do If You Are Involved In A Rideshare Accident
Prioritize everyone’s health and safety. Injuries sustained in rideshare accidents can vary from minimal damage to serious injuries. Even if you do not feel any pain, it is crucial to receive a medical examination. This can help uncover hidden injuries and have everything documented.
Collect evidence and information. Collect the name, contact information, and insurance information from the drivers involved in the accident. This will help you file a claim at a later time. If possible, take photographs of all vehicles involved and make a note of the weather and road conditions.
Speak with witnesses. If any vehicles stop to help during the accident, ask them for their names and contact information. If they saw the accident occur, they may be able to provide testimony in support of your claim when needed. Do not admit fault for anything. Quite often, insurance companies use drivers or passengers words against them which can jeopardize their lawsuits.
Contact a rideshare attorney. Avoid speaking to any insurance companies. They may try to offer minimal settlements, which will stop you from filing a claim in the future in your conditions worsen. Instead, contact a rideshare attorney from Needaninjuryattorney.com to deal with insurance companies and gather evidence and information for your case.
Rideshare Accidents Are More Complex
Rideshare accidents can be difficult to resolve. The complex insurance policies rideshare companies maintain can leave victims struggling with complicated paperwork. A lot of rideshare insurance companies rush to offer extremely low settlements to accident victims. Unfortunately, these offers barely cover any medical bills or lost wages.
Individuals who are offered any settlements from insurance companies should consult with a rideshare attorney prior to signing anything. Signing a settlement agreement with an insurance company eliminates your ability to file a lawsuit in the future to collect compensation for medical bills and other expenses related to the accident.
When The Rideshare Driver Is The Victim
There are circumstances where rideshare drivers are victims to passengers or other drivers on the road. Rideshare drivers come in contact with questionable passengers daily. Unfortunately, some of their conduct can escalate quickly. There are instances where passengers victimize rideshare drivers. Obnoxious or drunk passengers sometimes assault drivers or intentionally damage their vehicles. The Transportation Workers Union found that one out of every ten drivers is physically assaulted and close to 6% are sexually assaulted while on the job.
In cases where the rideshare driver is victimized, it is crucial to contact a rideshare attorney immediately. Most rideshare companies keep highly detailed data regarding each driver’s location and passenger information. If you are ever assaulted or injured by a rideshare passenger, it is important to contact your rideshare company to make sure this information is not deleted. This data will greatly assist your rideshare attorney in putting together an adequate case in support of your claim for damages.
Rideshare companies maintain substantial insurance coverage that can be used to compensate injured rideshare drivers for their pain and suffering as well as damage incurred on the job. Contact a rideshare attorney at Needaninjuryattorney.com as soon as possible to see what legal options are available for you.
Dealing With Insurance Companies
When a rideshare accident occurs, injured parties have to deal with three different insurance companies. These companies include the rideshare companies insurance company, the rideshare driver’s private vehicle insurance, and the private insurance of the other drivers involved.
Having multiple insurance companies in the equation makes the entire process more complex. Quite often, these insurance companies will all refuse fault and try to say your injuries aren’t severe. If you were driving another car that was struck by a rideshare driver, the insurance companies might try to deny liability altogether. Call the law offices of Needaninjuryattorney.com today to speak with a qualified lawyer about your accident and find out if you have a claim.
When a person takes a taxi or a bus for transportation, there is a specific insurance coverage these companies and their drivers maintain. Rideshare drivers often maintain insurance policies with loopholes that can result in denied claims. These claim denials typically occur when a driver files a claim as a rideshare driver while maintaining only a personal policy for their vehicle and not business coverage. This situation is further frustrating when rideshare companies attempt to deny that their coverage extends to their drivers.
When insurance companies refuse to take the blame for an accident caused by their covered driver, it can make recovering compensation extremely difficult. Call the rideshare attorneys at Needaninjuryattorney.com today to ensure that your rights to compensation are protected against big insurance companies.
Rideshare Accidents
Rideshare companies like Uber and Life maintain insurance policies with $1,000,000 in coverage. These policies are designed to protect drivers and passengers if they are ever involved in automobile accidents. The insurance coverage they have is designed to cover injuries, medical expenses, and death for injured parties. Some of the most common scenarios for rideshare accidents include:
- Rideshare passengers sustaining injuries while riding in the rideshare vehicle
- Rideshare drivers injured in automobile accidents that are the fault of another driver
- Motorists, pedestrians, or other bystanders who are injured in an automobile accident that was caused by a rideshare driver
Due to the complex nature of rideshare accidents, it is imperative for anyone injured to contact a rideshare attorney at Needaninjuryattorney.com as soon as possible.
How A Rideshare Attorney Can Help You After A Rideshare Accident
Rideshare attorneys help injury victims to obtain the compensation they deserve to cover the damages they sustained. Rideshare attorneys help claimants injured in rideshare accidents by:
- Collecting evidence that supports their claim
- Dealing with insurance companies to eliminate the run-around they constantly give injury victims
- Collecting police reports and medical reports
- Gathering statements from individuals who witnessed the accident
- Performing investigations about the accidents
- Hiring expert witnesses to testify on behalf of clients when needed
- Negotiating fair and full settlements with insurance companies
- And more
At Needaninjuryattorney.com, our rideshare attorneys will work for you to recover the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to and to achieve the best possible outcome for your case. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our specialized attorneys.