Whether you’re on vacation or a business trip or need a ride home after a night out, rideshare companies, such as Uber or Lyft, are a popular way to get around Granite City.
However, accidents sometimes happen. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rideshare accident, a Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer at Albers Injury Law can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries and other damages.
What Is a Rideshare Accident?
Rideshare services, such as Uber and Lyft, use independent contractors who drive their personal vehicles to transport passengers. A rideshare accident is an automobile accident that involves a rideshare driver.
Common causes of Uber/Lyft accidents in Granite City
Uber and Lyft accidents have many of the same common causes as other accidents. However, the unique nature of rideshare services increases the likelihood of accidents caused by:
- Speeding
- Fatigue
- Distracted driving
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Reckless driving
Because their income depends on completed rides, rideshare drivers may drive too fast or recklessly in an attempt to get passengers to their destinations quickly. Many drivers work a full-time job in addition to driving rideshare, which makes fatigue a potential contributor to accidents.
Chatting with passengers and checking their rideshare app for notifications or new jobs may create distractions that can lead to accidents. Because rideshare drivers are contractors and drive their own vehicles, Uber and Lyft do not maintain the vehicles; some drivers may not properly maintain their cars, which could contribute to a crash.
What Should You Do After a Rideshare Accident?
The steps you should take after a rideshare accident are essentially the same as any other accident. However, there may be additional steps.
Get medical care
Even if you don’t think you are seriously injured, you should receive medical care. Some injuries are not immediately apparent, and prompt medical care is important for both your health and injury claim.
Document your accident
Obtain the names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, contact information, and insurance information of all drivers, passengers, and witnesses. Write down the license plate numbers and make, model, and color of the vehicles.
Take photos and video of the vehicles, accident scene, and any injuries.
File a police report
If you call 911, the police should come to the scene, but if they do not, contact them to file a report. Obtain a copy of the report. Answer the officer’s questions, but do not admit fault.
Contact Albers Injury Law
Talk to a Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer at Albers Injury Law before you talk to the rideshare company or the insurance company. Your Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can communicate with these parties on your behalf and help you avoid any mistakes that could jeopardize your case.
Report the accident to the rideshare company
Uber and Lyft have online and app-based reporting systems for rideshare drivers, passengers, and third parties involved in a rideshare accident. However, you should speak with your ridesharing accident lawyer before contacting the rideshare company.
How Do Uber/Lyft Accident Claims Work?
Rideshare accident claims can be complex because they may involve multiple liable parties and more than one insurance company. Your Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer will help you work with all parties involved.
Grounds for an Uber accident claim
There are several scenarios where you may need to pursue an Uber/Lyft accident claim:
- You or a loved one has injuries or died because of an accident as a passenger in a rideshare vehicle.
- A rideshare driver caused an accident involving you or a loved one as a pedestrian or a driver or passenger in another vehicle.
- You were in an accident while driving a rideshare vehicle.
- If you were less than 50% at fault for the accident in one of these scenarios, you may have a rideshare accident claim.
When rideshare insurance pays
Uber and Lyft provide insurance coverage for some rideshare accidents, but the amount of coverage depends on the scenario. If the driver was available to accept passengers but hadn’t accepted a ride yet, Uber and Lyft provide liability coverage of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident for injuries, and $25,000 per accident for property damage.
If an accident happens while a rideshare driver is transporting a passenger or on the way to pick up a passenger, Uber and Lyft provide $1,000,000 of liability coverage for injuries to riders and third parties and property damage. Uber and Lyft also provide coverage for accidents caused by uninsured, underinsured, and hit-and-run drivers.
Additionally, Uber and Lyft offer contingent and optional coverages that may provide additional coverage for rideshare drivers and their passengers. Your Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer will identify how much coverage is available from Uber or Lyft for your accident.
When the rideshare app driver’s personal insurance pays
Some rideshare drivers may have applicable commercial auto policies. However, personal insurance policies usually exclude coverage when a driver is using their vehicle for rideshare services.
A driver who is driving their rideshare vehicle while not available to accept a rideshare assignment is not covered by Uber or Lyft. Instead, they must use their personal auto insurance policy.
Illinois law requires all drivers to carry liability insurance of a minimum of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for injuries and $15,000 for property damage. If the driver has applicable personal or commercial insurance and the accident happened while the driver was working, the insurance from Uber or Lyft will be excess over the driver’s insurance.
When your personal insurance pays
If you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, you are not likely to be at fault for the accident. However, you may have no-fault coverages, such as medical payments coverage, that could apply.
If you were in an accident with a rideshare vehicle while driving your vehicle, your collision coverage will pay for the damage to your vehicle, less your deductible. If you were fully or partially at fault in the accident, your liability coverage will pay for injuries and property damage to third parties that you are legally liable for.
Who Can Be Liable for an Uber or Lyft Accident?
There may be more than one liable party in a rideshare accident. Your Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer will identify the liable party or parties based on the facts of your case.
Rideshare driver
If the rideshare driver is entirely or partially at fault for the accident, the driver is proportionately liable according to their share of the fault. For example, if the driver is 60% at fault, the driver is liable for 60% of your damages.
Another driver
If a driver other than the rideshare driver was partially or fully at fault for the accident, that driver is proportionally liable for damages. For example, if a third-party driver was 40% at fault for your accident as a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, that driver would be liable for 40% of your damages.
Rideshare company
If the rideshare company failed to ensure the rideshare driver was safe or encouraged the driver to drive recklessly, it could be at fault or partially at fault. For example, if the rideshare company allowed a driver to continue to accept work after the driver caused multiple accidents, the company could have some fault.
Other parties
It is unusual for a passenger to be at fault in a rideshare accident, but if a passenger distracted the driver or took some other action that caused an accident, they could share fault. If improper repairs, defective parts, or road conditions caused the accident, a manufacturer, repair shop, or government entity could be liable.
Where Can You Connect With a Granite City Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyer Today?
Albers Injury Law has helped injured people with car accident injury claims and lawsuits for more than 25 years. If you need a Granite City Uber/Lyft accident lawyer, call Albers Injury Law to schedule a free case evaluation.