We all tend to use Uber and Lyft as a regular way to get around town. Whether you need a safe ride home after a night at the bar or don’t have a car to get around on your own, these ridesharing companies can be the perfect solution. However, have you ever thought about what you would do if your rideshare car got into an accident while you were riding along? It’s time to understand just what you should do if you’re involved in an accident when riding in an Uber or Lyft vehicle.
Follow The Basic To-Dos After An Accident
Before we get into explaining the differences that you’ll experience when dealing with an accident as a passenger instead of being in your personal vehicle, we’re first going to go over the basics. You should check all the people in the vehicle you’re riding in to see if they’re injured as well as yourself. If anyone is severely injured, be sure to contact emergency medical assistance. Once everyone in your vehicle is checked for injuries, you should check with the other party to see if any of them are injured.
Take out your smartphone and snap some great pictures of the accident scene. Include all the vehicles, their license plates, their damages, and the entire accident in general. Scribe down the names and contact information of the drivers, including your Uber or Lyft driver. If the other vehicle had any passengers, be sure to get their names and contact information as well. If there are any witnesses on the scene, be sure to get their information as your Uber accident lawyer may need to call on them later down the road to solidify your case. When the officer arrives, be sure to get their contact information and badge number for reference.
Is Uber’s Insurance Going To Cover The Accident?
If the accident was the fault of the Uber driver and not the other party, then it’s important to understand whether or not Uber’s insurance will cover your injury and or damage expenses. Uber does have a one million dollar insurance policy that can kick in to cover your injury and damage costs. However, there are a few key things that you need to be aware of when it comes to their policy coverage. Your ridesharing accident lawyer can help you to wade through the waters of finding out who is responsible for paying for your injury expenses.
Each Uber driver has an application that tracks their movements. This application allows them to assign themselves rides and track their earnings for the rides that they perform. In the event that the Uber driver does have their application on and it was actively tracking your ride, then you’re covered under their insurance policy.
However, if the driver didn’t have the application running in ride mode, Uber won’t cover the accident. That’s right, the fault of the accident will be left to the insurance company of the Uber driver, not Uber themselves. This is where the water gets a little murky when it comes to coverage.
Personal Car Insurance Companies
Many car insurance companies will not cover vehicle accidents when the driver is using their vehicle for ridesharing services. Their debate is that the vehicle is only meant to cover the driver for personal use. If the driver wants to utilize their vehicle for ridesharing services, then they would have to purchase a commercial insurance policy.
Since Uber and Lyft are emerging into the market, many drivers don’t realize the implications of insurance coverage during accidents. Many don’t realize what insurance policy they need to purchase and what Uber will cover for them. As a rider, you should check to see what type of policy the driver has if an accident occurs. This way, your hired personal injury lawyer can identify who your injury claim will be filed through.
What If I Get Hit By An Uber Driver?
Let’s assume that you’re not a passenger anymore but, rather, you’re a pedestrian that gets hit by the Uber driver. Will Uber’s insurance cover your injury costs or will the responsibility lie on that of the driver’s personal insurance policy? The answer is that it depends on the application status.
As you learned above, each Uber driver has an application that tracks their status. There are four different statuses that an Uber driver can select. The first is the application is turned off. This means that the driver is technically not working for Uber at the time and your Uber accident lawyer will file your claim with the driver’s personal insurance company.
The second status is waiting for a ride. In this case, the Uber driver is stationary and only a select limit of Uber’s insurance will cover your injury costs. The limited liability coverage of Uber is 50,000 dollars per person and 25,000 for property damage. All expenses above this coverage limit will fall back on the Uber driver’s personal insurance policy.
The third status is when the driver is on the way to pick up their passenger. At this point, they accepted the ride and are actively working. Uber’s one million dollar policy kicks in during this scenario. The last status is giving the passenger a ride which also has the same coverage limits because the driver is actively working at the time the accident occurs.
What Is The Coverage For Lyft Drivers?
As your Lyft accident lawyer can tell you, Lyft also carries a one million dollar insurance policy for their drivers who are on duty. The same rules as the Uber drivers apply to Lyft drivers as well. As long as the Lyft driver is at fault for the accident that occurs, you can rely on having your injury expenses paid by their insurance company. However, it’s important to clarify that the Lyft driver’s insurance policy will be the first level of coverage. Any expenses in excess of the Lyft driver’s policy will be paid by Lyft’s insurance policy.
Should I Contact A Ridesharing Accident Lawyer?
Regardless of whether you were a passenger, a pedestrian, or other party involved in an accident with an Uber or Lyft driver, you should contact a Lyft accident lawyer in order to ensure you receive proper compensation. West Coast Trial Lawyers are experienced in handling these particular types of personal injury cases. They know how to go through the claims process and can walk you through getting the financial compensation you deserve for the injuries and damages that you received.
Realize that when you contact a lawyer, you can be assured that your interests are being looked out for. Especially when it comes to this kind of personal injury case, it pays to have a professional by your side who knows what they’re doing. It can be overly confusing trying to wade through which insurance company you should be filing a claim with. Also, your ridesharing accident lawyer can be your buffer when it comes to dealing with the various insurance companies. There’s really no reason you should be going through the claims process on your own when you can have experienced help by your side every step of the way.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.
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