What Happens if an Uber Driver Has an Accident?
It is always a highly stressful, confusing and scary time when you get into a car accident. However, if you happen to be a passenger in an Uber, Lyft, Juno or other ridesharing service’s vehicle when a crash occurs, it can be that much worse. You can easily suffer injuries and even damage to your personal property in addition to being mentally shaken up. In that situation, you may feel lost and uncertain about what to do.
Regardless of the circumstances leading up to an accident involving an Uber or other ridesharing vehicle, there are certain vital steps you must take. Additionally, these are things you should always do no matter what the vehicle or whether you are the driver or passenger in a car accident, in general.
Steps to Take After a Ridesharing or Any Vehicle Accident
Remember, it is perfectly normal to be overwhelmed and terrified after a road accident. However, in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, there are some steps you need to take. They include the following:
• Check on yourself and everyone else involved in the crash to ensure your safety and theirs. An injury should be the first thing you look for after an accident takes place.
• Get out of the vehicle and go to the safety of the side of the road. You want to make sure you are clear of the roadway if traffic is still moving ahead. If it’s at all possible, the driver should move the vehicle out of the road as well. However, if that is not possible, everyone should get out and move to the side to a safer spot.
• Call 911 for the police and an ambulance. If the crash is serious enough and has resulted in any injuries or significant property damage, you need the police to come to the scene so they can make a police report. In addition, an ambulance with emergency medical personnel should always be summoned to the scene of a road accident so all parties involved can be medically checked out even if they feel perfectly fine. Later, you and other people in the accident should go to the hospital and have more thorough medical exams to ensure you are not suffering from any internal injuries or those that have not yet manifested due to adrenaline rushes.
• Take plenty of pictures of the scene of the accident with the camera on your cell phone. Focus on the road, vehicles, road conditions, posted signs showing the speed limit, skid marks, property damage and anything else that relates to the accident. You may also want to make note of the weather conditions.
• Exchange information with all drivers and at least get their names, phone numbers, license plate and driver’s license numbers and insurance information.
• Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses and ask to record their statements as they give their accounts of the accident.
• Call your insurance company and give the bare facts but no specific details.
• Write down your own immediate thoughts after the accident to ensure you don’t have confusion later.
• Remain calm at all times.
What Happens After an Uber Driver Has an Accident?
Uber originally came onto the transportation scene in 2009 and took the world by storm. Unlike traditional taxi cabs, which require a person to stand outside and hail them down for a ride, all you have to do to get a ride with Uber or other ridesharing services is open an app on your phone and request one. The ride is yours alone and allows you to forgo standing on the street vying with others to get a cab to pick you up.
However, in spite of this nice convenience, there are now many Uber and other ridesharing vehicles on the roads. As a result of the huge number of them, it’s only natural that more accidents will occur, including those involving Uber and other ridesharing service vehicles. Unfortunately, unlike with regular taxi cabs and passenger vehicles, things are not so cut and dry when an accident ensues with one of these cars.
Being a Passenger in an Uber Vehicle That Crashes
Needless to say, if you are a passenger in an Uber, Lyft or other ridesharing vehicle that gets into a collision, it can be a scary experience. As a passenger, however, the accident is not your fault. You should be easily able to recover compensation if you suffer injuries thanks to Uber’s $1 million insurance policy that takes effect when a car gets into an accident while transporting a passenger. No matter what the situation, as a passenger in an accident in a ridesharing vehicle, you should speak with an experienced ridesharing accident lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected.
Being a Bystander Involved in an Uber Accident
Unfortunately, bystanders are often involved in Uber and other ridesharing accidents that can render them injured. However, recovering compensation for injuries can be tricky when you are a pedestrian based on different periods involving the driver. The following situations may apply:
• If the driver did not have the app open and was not searching for a passenger to pick up, you would have to go through their own personal insurance policy to cover the compensation for your injuries. However, this is often insufficient to fully cover your damages, which means you would have to rely on your own uninsured or underinsured coverage to pick up the slack as the ridesharing company is not responsible when its driver is off-duty.
• If the driver had the app open while awaiting a request for a ride from a passenger, Uber’s insurance policy kicks in and covers injuries at $50,000 up to $100,000 per person.
• If the driver was actively working and on their way to pick up a passenger, again, the ridesharing company’s insurance policy applies. The driver’s GPS serves as proof of location, but it’s still wise to have an Uber accident lawyer on your side.
• If the driver was giving a passenger a ride, the ridesharing service’s insurance policy applies as well.
At the end of the day, Uber, Lyft, Juno and other ridesharing services are not going anywhere. They are here to stay as they provide a convenient, cheaper alternative to traditional taxi cabs. If you are in the Los Angeles area and have suffered injuries after an accident involving an Uber or other ridesharing vehicle, you need to have a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles representing you. A ridesharing accident lawyer will protect your rights and the best Uber accident lawyer will ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles at your earliest convenience.
