Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft can help you get home safely after a night on the town. However, working with these services when you get into a car accident can be a complicated endeavor. For help, you can reach out to Pintas & Mullin Law Firm. For a free case consultation, call (800) 223-5115.
How Uber and Lyft Protect Ridesharing Drivers
Uber and Lyft have some policies that help keep their drivers safe from roadway accidents. For example, the companies can provide drivers with ridesharing insurance, or they can require drivers to acquire this type of insurance before employing them. Ridesharing insurance helps you protect yourself from accidents that may occur while you are driving another party from one point to another.
However, ridesharing coverage does not cover you when you are not on the clock. Instead, this kind of coverage can help you in phases. Those phases break down as follows:
- Phase 01: If your ridesharing app is not on, then you must rely on your personal coverage to protect you from accidents.
- Phase 02: If your app is on, but you are not on the road, then your personal coverage does not cover your accidents. Ridesharing coverage during this stage will only protect you from liability losses.
- Phase 03: When you accept a ride, you receive full coverage from your ridesharing insurance.
- Phase 04: If you have passengers in your car, then your coverage fully protects you.
Your ridesharing coverage should protect you from any expenses that pertain to your injury and property loss due to an accident. The passengers in your car, however, must contend with a different set of requirements to receive coverage.
How Uber and Lyft Protect Ridesharing Passengers
If you are a passenger in a Lyft or an Uber, and the vehicle you are in gets into an accident, your coverage and means to protect yourself will vary. If the Lyft or Uber driver is determined to be at-fault for the accident – as Illinois is an at-fault state – then the driver’s coverage may attend to your losses, depending on whether or not the driver was in Phase 03 or Phase 04 of their coverage.
Comparatively, if you get into a car accident and it becomes clear that the other driver can be held responsible for applicable losses, then it will be that driver’s insurance provider’s responsibility to cover your losses.
Pursuing a Civil Suit
Insurance coverage does not always address your right to pursue a civil suit after a car accident. Who, then, do you have the right to take to court if you get into an accident while in an Uber or Lyft?
If you are the driver, then you have the right to take the party deemed at-fault for your accident to civil court, but only if that party meets preexisting conditions that might entitle you to compensation beyond what they can provide through their insurance provider.
If you are a passenger in an Uber or a Lyft, and it is the Uber or Lyft driver who initiates the car accident, then you have the option of taking that driver – or, in turn, their parent company – to civil court to compensate for your losses.
If you are a passenger in an Uber or a Lyft, and it is another vehicle that initiates an accident, then you have the right to take the other driver to civil court to fight for compensation. You can do so either alongside the ridesharing driver with whom you were riding or independently.
For a free legal consultation with a Uber and Lyft Ridesharing Accidents Lawyer serving Aurora, call (800) 794-0444
Types of Accidents an Uber and Lyft Ridesharing Lawyer Can Address
An Aurora Uber and Lyft ridesharing accident lawyer can help you start the recovery process after you get into an accident while on the road. There are no limitations to the kinds of accidents that this type of attorney can help you recover from, including:
- Rollovers
- Sideswipes or T-bone collisions
- Head-on collisions
Should you find yourself in one of these accidents, regardless of your role, you can bring your case to an Aurora Uber and Lyft ridesharing accident lawyer and discuss the details to determine what kind of legal action may suit your needs best.
Aurora Uber and Lyft Ridesharing Accidents Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
What You Should Do After a Ridesharing Accident
In the aftermath of a ridesharing accident, you may be at a loss for what to do. There are steps you can take, however, that can help you stay calm and prepare yourself for a legal fight if you wish to pursue one later down the line. These steps include:
- Assessing yourself for any signs of physical injury and seeking medical aid, if necessary
- Getting in touch with law enforcement or medical professionals
- Determining the extent of damage to your personal property, including your car
- Taking pictures of the scene of the accident to assess later down the line
- Communicating with the other driver involved in the accident and exchanging insurance information as well as phone numbers
Once you have left the scene of your accident and attended to any injuries, you can then start to consider what matter of legal action may suit you best. You can meet with an Aurora Uber and Lyft ridesharing accident lawyer to determine whether you want to file a demand letter or send a complaint to your local justice.
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An Aurora Uber and Lyft Ridesharing Accident Lawyer Can Help You Recover from an Accident
Ridesharing services may be convenient, but from a legal standpoint, they can complicate the process of taking legal action after a roadway accident. If you want help recovering after such an accident, you can reach out to Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for guidance.
For a free case consultation, call (800) 223-5115.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
