After the Accident
The first thing you should do after a rideshare accident is to make sure everyone is okay. If you are still conscious, you should call 911. If you are unharmed and mobile, you should get out of the car and take as many photos as possible of the damage. You should collect the insurance and contact details of both drivers. You should also get the contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident.
As a passenger, you may be able to do some of this. However, if you were injured in the accident it is best not to move. It is better to wait for emergency services to arrive and to focus on getting yourself treated and healed.
Hiring a Ridesharing Accident Lawyer
You do have options after a rideshare accident. If the accident owed to the recklessness and inattention of your driver, then the rideshare company should be held responsible. You should contact an Uber accident lawyer or Lyft accident lawyer straightaway. Keep in mind, however, that you may not have to file a lawsuit.
Uber has a standing policy of offering up to $1 million to anyone injured in one of their cars. Even if the company contacts you and offers to settle, you should put them in touch with your lawyer. You should sign or agree to nothing until after your Uber accident lawyer or Lyft accident lawyer has had a chance to review it.
In some instances, the settlement offer may be enough. In other instances, you may need more money.
The Impact The rideshare concept has increased in popularity over the last few years. People have warmed to the idea of getting from one place to another with ease and expediency. The principle of ridesharing is simple: turn owners of privately-owned vehicles into commercial drivers. Uber and Lyft have turned the idea into a reality and have established a service used by millions of people throughout the world.
Anyone with a driver’s license and a car can become an Uber or Lyft driver. No special test, evaluation, training, or qualifications are necessary. However, the unregulated nature of the industry poses risks to the public.
Recent studies have shown a sharp increase in the number of car accidents in cities throughout the country—the areas in which Uber and Lyft have the largest presence. Most Uber and Lyft drivers have other jobs. They offer rideshare services to make ends meet. Many of them are so desperate to make the money that they need to pay their bills they break traffic laws of all kinds to complete one fare so that they can move on to another.
Uber and Lyft accidents are on the rise. If you have been the victim of such an incident, you should hire a ridesharing accident lawyer.
of a Car Accident
A serious car accident can cause serious disruption to your life. You may be required to undergo a range of treatments and procedures before you start to get better. A severe accident can put you in the hospital for months and deprive you of much needed income. At some point, you will need to pay the medical bills that result from all the life-saving operations you were forced to go through.
Life will not return to normal once you have been released from the care of a doctor. Severe injuries take time to recover from. It may take you years to fully mend. In the meantime, you may be forced to give up your livelihood or take a pay-cut. This will only lead to further financial strain, and it will make life for you and your family difficult.
If you have been in a rideshare accident that has resulted in injuries that will have long-term consequences on your health, finances, and family life, you need not settle for a $1 million pay-off. A rideshare attorney can get you more.
What Your Lawyer Will Do
Filing a lawsuit against a rideshare company is not an act of revenge or greed. If you have been severely injured in an accident, it is a practical act of survival. The reason why Uber and Lyft offer standard pay-outs is because it saves them from costly litigation and the risk of even larger pay-outs. However, the profits made by these companies have soared into the billions. They rely on the relatively inexpensive labor of desperate drivers to make their money. The recklessness of one such driver has caused you all the problems you now have, and so it is right that you hold the rideshare company accountable.
The case law concerning rideshare accidents continues to evolve. However, lawyers throughout the country are winning large settlements against Uber and Lyft all the time. That is why you should entrust your particular case to an attorney who specializes in rideshare accidents. Here are some of the actions they will take to get you justice:
After reviewing the police accident report, they will conduct their own independent investigation with the help and assistance of professionals. Every piece of evidence left at the scene will be reviewed and analysed. Your lawyer will go back to each witness to see if any of them took photos of the crash or have video of everything that happened before, during, and after the accident. There typically is one person who has shot such video. This can be crucial to confirming your version of events.
Your lawyer will also look into the background of the rideshare driver. Uber and Lyft should maintain some minimum standard for drivers. If the driver who caused the accident has multiple traffic infractions or a DUI on their record, it can be used to prove that the company failed to properly screen their employees and thus endangered the safety of the public.
Your lawyer will also bring in medical experts who can write statements or offer testimony as to the cause and seriousness of your injuries. These professionals will explain why your injuries have left you unable to do the kind of work that would allow you to earn what you need to live.
In most instances, this will be enough to force the hand of the rideshare company and get them to offer a higher settlement.
