Ridesharing

Normally in a car crash, the at-fault driver is liable for the damages, but if they are working when they cause the accident, their employer is liable. With ridesharing services, the liability isn’t always as clear, which is why you need a knowledgeable personal injury attorney in your corner.

Ridesharing services typically only claim liability when their drivers are actively using the app. If the drivers are logged in but don’t have a passenger in the car, Uber and Lyft both have a modest liability policy in place to cover accidents; however, this coverage simply isn’t enough to cover extensive damages to pedestrians and property. In these cases, you need a ridesharing accident attorney who understands how to successfully make a claim against these companies even when their coverage isn’t adequate.

When a passenger is in the vehicle, both Uber and Lyft have $1 million liability policies in place, and in fact, Massachusetts law requires these companies to carry liability policies in that amount. If liability cannot be established against the ridesharing service, the driver may be held personally liable. Unfortunately, ridesharing drivers often use personal insurance policies, and their insurers reject claims related to commercial accidents. Luckily, in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, drivers are required to notify their insurers so that doesn’t happen.

If you suffer damages due to a ridesharing driver’s negligence or due to the ridesharing company’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. In personal injury cases, compensation is based on your damages. However, there are legal caps on some claims, and if you are determined to be personally liable for part of the accident, comparative liability can reduce your compensation.

As a rule of thumb, ridesharing companies have large liability plans in place, applying to accidents that occur when the ridesharing driver has a passenger in the vehicle. These companies tend to have slightly reduced coverage for accidents that occur when the driver is logged into the app but doesn’t have a passenger. The driver’s insurance applies in other cases. Making ridesharing insurance claims can be complicated, and you may want to consult with a legal professional so they can help you negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company.

If you’re thinking about making a legal claim against a ridesharing company, you should understand the lawsuit process. Often, you can keep the issue out of court and come to a satisfactory resolution relatively quickly by working with an arbitrator or a mediator. However, in other cases, you need to be ready to go to court to ensure that you are fairly compensated for all the current and future damages you incurred as a result of the ridesharing accident.

After an accident, you have a limited amount of time to bring a claim against the at-fault driver. In most cases, the statute of limitations for ridesharing accidents is three years, but the time limit can vary based on the type of accident and the damages involved. To be on the safe side, you should consult with a ridesharing attorney as soon as possible after your accident.

Ridesharing puts more vehicles on the road, and as a result, when ridesharing companies come into an area, traffic density increases — which often leads to more accidents. In some cases, these accidents directly involve Lyft, Uber, or other ridesharing companies. Tragically, many fatalities have occurred to ridesharing passengers and occupants of other vehicles.

Unfortunately, ridesharing drivers have hit and injured or killed pedestrians in multiple parts of the country. Ridesharing companies often try to deny liability for these accidents, unless the driver has a passenger in the vehicle. Arguably, these companies should face responsibility for accidents that happen when their drivers are distracted by the app or rushing to pick up a passenger.

Ridesharing companies screen their drivers and try not to hire drivers with histories of drunk driving, accidents, or traffic tickets, but research shows that the screening process has a lot of room for error. If a ridesharing driver is intoxicated, they put their passengers and other drivers on the road at risk of grievous injuries. Ridesharing passengers and drivers also need to be aware of the risks associated with other intoxicated drivers.

Like all accidents, ridesharing accidents are caused by a range of different reasons. Speeding and reckless driving play a large role, but often, drivers are simply distracted and not paying adequate attention to the road. The combination of engaging with the ridesharing app, talking with passengers, and driving unfamiliar routes creates a perfect storm where ridesharing drivers may be more prone to getting in accidents than other drivers. Additionally, these drivers usually aren’t as experienced as other professional drivers, potentially heightening the risk of an accident

Ridesharing accidents can cause extensive injuries and even death. Injuries include impact and penetrating injuries, but accidents can also lead to or exacerbate mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All these injuries can be debilitating and expensive, causing significant upheaval to your life. If you are severely injured after a ridesharing accident, you should contact an attorney to help you negotiate with the ridesharing company’s insurance provider, and to bring a lawsuit against the driver or the ridesharing company if needed.

Uber has a presence in over 60 countries and over 700 cities around the world. Estimated to bring in more than $11 billion in revenue annually, this company offers ridesharing services, ride service hailing, food delivery through Uber Eats, and bicycle-sharing services through JumpBikes. Established in 2009, Uber is based in San Francisco, and the company is known for disrupting the transportation industry.

Founded in 2012, three years after Uber, Lyft is the second largest ride sharing service in the world, and as of 2018, it brings in about $2 billion in revenue per year. Lyft operates in over 650 cities throughout the United States and Canada.