It only takes a few minutes to request a ride from an Uber or Lyft driver, but it may take months to recover from a physical injury when the rideshare driver gets involved in a vehicle accident.
If your car was hit by an Uber or Lyft vehicle or you sustained injuries while a rideshare passenger, contact the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC. A lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Call us today at 865-546-1111 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rideshare vehicle accident.
Determining Liability
An accident involving Uber and Lyft can be more complicated than other vehicle crashes for several reasons. For one, in most states, rideshare drivers are not considered employees but independent contractors. This means that rideshare companies can deny responsibility for the actions of non-employees.
Second, a rideshare driver may dispute fault for the crash and blame the other passenger-car driver for causing the wreck. It may take weeks or even months for the drivers and their insurance companies to settle the dispute. It is also entirely possible that insurance companies for Uber, Lyft, the rideshare driver, the other motorists, and the rideshare passenger could all dispute fault.
At the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC, an attorney can unravel complex situations to determine fault for your rideshare accident and which parties to hold liable for your personal injury and other damages.
Filing Insurance Claims
You do not have to handle insurance claims on your own. Our lawyers take care of all aspects of the insurance claim process in your rideshare vehicle accident. An Uber & Lyft Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Jefferson City, TN will take the pressure off of you by filing claims and negotiating settlements on your behalf.
Determining which insurance company to file a claim against in rideshare accidents depends on whether the rideshare driver had the Uber or Lyft app turned on at the time of the crash. Rideshare drivers use an app on their smartphones to receive rider requests, so this app needs to be turned on for the rideshare companies to be implicated. Otherwise, the rideshare driver’s private auto insurance covers an accident when the driver causes an accident but does not have the rideshare app on and does not have a passenger.
Uber and Lyft Insurance Coverage
When an accident occurs while the rideshare driver is waiting for a passenger request, Uber and Lyft provide up to $50,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage. Additionally, Uber and Lyft are both required to have a $1 million liability insurance policy to cover damages from an accident when:
- The rideshare driver causes an accident after accepting a passenger request and when the driver has a passenger in the vehicle.
- An uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver causes an accident.
If another driver causes an accident, the rideshare driver and rideshare passengers can file a third-party claim with the other driver’s auto insurance company.
Investigating Your Accident
An Uber & Lyft Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Jefferson City, TN will conduct a thorough investigation of your Uber or Lyft rideshare accident to build a solid case that supports your insurance claim. Our investigation includes securing evidence that determines fault and liability for your rideshare accident.
The evidence we gather may include such relevant information as:
- Your medical records that detail your injury
- A police report of the accident
- Photographs of the accident scene
- Photographs of your injury
- Statements from eyewitnesses
Our well-documented case will prove that the rideshare driver’s negligence caused an accident and you suffered damages as a result.
Negotiating Your Insurance Claim
At the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC, we keep our clients’ physical injuries and financial losses in the forefront as we negotiate claims on their behalf. We understand how a serious injury accident can potentially place a financial burden on a family.
Generally, insurance companies want to save money by offering low settlements or no settlements at all. Our lawyers have negotiated many claims and know the type of strategies insurers use to reduce, delay, or deny claims. So, we hold fast and continue negotiating for full and fair compensation. When insurers refuse to offer fair compensation, we may file a lawsuit against the insurer and resolve the matter in court.
Recoverable Damages
Another service we provide is estimating the amount of damages you sustained from the Uber or Lyft rideshare accident. Based on the value of your case, you may be entitled to recover compensation for a variety of damages, such as:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses include hospitalization, surgeries, physical or occupational therapy, medical mobility devices, prescription drug costs, specialized treatment, future medical costs, and more.
Lost Wages
These damages include your wages, bonuses, commissions, and other income you lost from one or more of your jobs because of your inability to work.
Property Damage
Property damage involves repair or replacement of a vehicle or personal possessions, such as a laptop computer or smartphone.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering are non-economic damages that include the physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of the enjoyment of life experienced because of the rideshare accident.
We Can Help You with Your Uber and Lyft Accident in Jefferson City, TN
You have a limited amount of time of one year to file a claim or lawsuit for damages you suffered in a rideshare accident. Do not miss the chance to recover compensation for your damages. Contact an Uber & Lyft Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Jefferson City, TN from the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC today at 865-546-1111.