Ridesharing accident fatalities refer to any situation where someone dies in an accident involving a ride sharing vehicle. This can include pedestrians hit by ridesharing drivers, ridesharing passengers who die in accidents caused by the ridesharing driver or another driver, and drivers or passengers of other vehicles who die as a result of an accident with a ridesharing driver.
If you have lost a loved one due to an accident with a ridesharing driver, you should contact an attorney to talk about your situation and to learn more about your rights.
Ridesharing Linked to Increased Fatalities
Some research indicates that ridesharing increases traffic accident fatalities by 2 to 3%. These numbers do not mean that ridesharing drivers cause this portion of accidents. Instead, analysts speculate that the increase in vehicles on the road due to people using ridesharing services contributes to an increase in overall road fatalities.
Researchers also noted that an increase in fatalities correlated with an uptick in the intensity of ridesharing usage based on Google searches for ridesharing services. Although people access these services through an app, they often start by searching for the app or looking for more information online.
Ridesharing Drivers Tend to Be Safer
Other research indicates that ridesharing drivers actually tend to be safer than other drivers. In an analysis of one million ridesharing trips completed by 12,000 drivers, researchers found the following habits:
- Percentage of trips involving speeding: 30% ridesharing vs 41% other drivers.
- Time looking at phone during 15-minute drive: 23 seconds ridesharing drivers vs 35 seconds other drivers.
- Percentage of trips that included at least one hard brake: 33% ridesharing drivers vs 29% other drivers.
The data states that ridesharing drivers are safer than average drivers in every category except hard braking.
Fatalities with Ridesharing
Unfortunately, there are no clear statistics on the exact number of fatalities caused by ridesharing drivers. However, there are a number of incidents where pedestrians, other motorists, and ridesharing passengers have died in accidents. Here are just a few examples of these tragedies:
- A female pedestrian was hit and killed by an Uber driver in Philadelphia.
- A Connecticut woman died after being hit by an Uber driver, while trying to cross a busy commercial road.
- An Uber passenger in Florida died when the car was hit by a Seminole County sheriff’s patrol car.
- A motorcyclist was hit by a Lyft driver in Miami, and his widow brought a lawsuit against the company.
- A Lyft passenger died after a crash in San Francisco.
Wrongful Death Due to a Ridesharing Accident
If you have lost a loved one due to an accident involving a ridesharing driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Wrongful death cases can include compensation for final medical bills, funeral costs, and pain and suffering endured by your loved one in their last few days or moments. In some cases, you may be entitled to additional compensation due to the loss of income or companionship you relied on from the person who was killed.
Assigning Liability in Ridesharing Accident Fatalities
In ridesharing accidents, the liable party varies based on the situation. If the accident was caused by a ridesharing driver, that driver or the ridesharing company may be liable. When other drivers cause the fatalities, they may be liable, and if they were working, their employers may be liable. Additionally, if the injuries were exacerbated or caused by faulty equipment, the parts manufacturer may be liable. Sometimes, multiple parties may be liable for the damages.
Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be extremely traumatic and potentially financially debilitating. If you have lost a loved one due to the actions of a ridesharing driver, you should contact us at Mazow | McCullough, PC today. We can offer you a no-cost case evaluation and help you decide how to move forward.
