A rideshare accident has long-lasting ramifications. Seek legal help if you’re injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft. A rideshare accident lawyer will learn about you and the harm that you suffered during this incident. From here, they can pursue compensation from any liable parties on your behalf.
Sweet James Accident Attorneys is a personal injury law firm that has been fighting for client compensation for many years. Our team offers legal guidance and support to the victims of rideshare accidents and their families.
Trust a personal injury lawyer fro our team to help you in the aftermath of your rideshare accident. For more information, request a free and confidential case review.
Why Hire a Lawyer to Handle Your Legal Matters After a Rideshare Accident?
Your rideshare accident attorney is your legal representative and advocate. In these roles, your lawyer will ensure that your legal matters are handled with care as you recover from your rideshare crash and injuries. At Sweet James, we have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
Some of the ways that our lawyers can help you with your Uber or Lyft accident case include:
Performing an Investigation of Your Accident
Just because you say Uber, Lyft, or a rideshare driver is at fault for your accident and injuries doesn’t mean that a judge or jury will agree.
In your case, your personal injury attorney will thoroughly investigate your crash. This may involve looking at traffic camera footage of the incident and reading police reports in order to identify any liable parties. Then, they will help you pursue compensation from them.
Crafting an Argument That Will Resonate in Court
As your lawyer tries to establish liability for your rideshare collision, they will gather evidence from a wide range of sources. With each piece of evidence that your attorney retrieves, they can bolster your case for compensatory damages from anyone who caused your rideshare collision and injuries.
Negotiating a Settlement
You could get a settlement offer for your rideshare crash and injuries. An initial proposal may seem reasonable, but it could actually be worth far less than what you’ve incurred in losses. Your lawyer can keep you updated about settlement negotiations and review any offers you get with you. They can help you make an informed decision on a settlement proposal.
Sweet James Accident Attorneys has received hundreds of five-star reviews on Google and Yelp. Our legal team searches for ways to deliver results for the victims of accidents involving Uber and Lyft vehicles and their families. Give a rideshare accident attorney from our team the opportunity to help you with your case. Contact us today to learn more.
How Much Is a Rideshare Accident Case Worth?
The compensation that you receive in your rideshare collision case will depend on your quantifiable and subjective losses. Rideshare accident lawyers will encourage you to ask for economic and non-economic damages for several reasons, including:
Pain and Suffering
You experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical discomfort, and other forms of pain and suffering following your accident with an Uber or Lyft. Tell your lawyer about these issues and how they’re preventing you from enjoying your life to the fullest extent. Next, your attorney can incorporate your pain and suffering into your damages request.
Medical Bills
A doctor diagnoses you with a concussion, whiplash, and other injuries within hours of your Uber or Lyft accident. Meanwhile, to manage your injuries, you have to spend a lot on doctors’ visits, medications, treatments, and ongoing medical care. Thankfully, your attorney will consider your medical expenses as they calculate your damages.
Loss of Income
Every day that you can’t perform your job due to your traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), or other severe trauma from your rideshare crash forces you to miss out on opportunities to earn income. Your lawyer will assess your current and future lost wages and account for these as they get your case ready for trial.
Leave nothing to chance as you go through the process of requesting these and other damages from anyone at fault for your rideshare crash. Get an experienced and dedicated legal team on your side to help you with your case. If you work closely with rideshare accident attorneys, you could recover damages that serve you well now and in the future.
How to File a Rideshare Accident Claim
Make a mistake during this rideshare collision claims process, and you could hurt your chances of getting compensation from the party liable for your Uber or Lyft accident or their insurance company.
Partner with a personal injury lawyer with relevant case experience, as they can walk you through the process. Below are the steps to submit a rideshare collision claim:
- Contact the rideshare company. Notify Uber or Lyft about your accident involving one of its drivers. This will open a claim with the rideshare company, which will investigate your accident and determine liability.
- Inform your auto insurance company. If you are traveling in your car when a driver for Uber or Lyft slams their vehicle into yours, reach out to your auto insurance company and the rideshare company. Your auto insurer can investigate your collision in conjunction with Uber or Lyft’s insurance company.
- Stay in the loop about your claim. Your lawyer for a rideshare accident can share claim updates with you and let you know if a settlement offer is made.
Ideally, you receive fair compensation for your Uber or Lyft accident losses from a liable party’s insurance company. However, there are times when insurance companies will dispute the claims of rideshare crash victims. If an insurer contests your claim, your car accident lawyer may encourage you to proceed with a personal injury lawsuit.
What to Expect if You File a Rideshare Collision Lawsuit
Having insurance coverage does not guarantee that a liable party’s insurer will give you adequate compensation for your losses from your collision. Thus, your attorney for a rideshare accident may advise you to submit a lawsuit. This lets you bring your case in front of a judge or jury and explain why you feel that damages are warranted.
To understand how a lawsuit involving a rideshare driver, Uber, or Lyft will work, consider an example. You ride your motorcycle and are injured in an accident with a rideshare. At this point, you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to assist you with your case. Your attorney files your lawsuit and puts together a strong argument to use in court.
Leading up to your trial, your lawyer can negotiate a settlement with a liable party. If no agreement is reached, your attorney will present your case in court. During your trial, your lawyer wants to make it clear to a judge or jury that you’re not to blame for your rideshare crash and that any liable parties should have to compensate you accordingly.
How to Prove Negligence in a Rideshare Accident Case
Rideshare crash lawyers often focus their arguments on liability and negligence. They want to show a judge or jury that an at-fault party chose to do something that put you in danger and, because of this, should be held liable for their actions. As your attorney prepares for your trial, they can develop an argument based on these elements of negligence.
Duty of Care
If a party has a duty of care, they are legally obligated to avoid any acts that could harm others. For instance, you expect Uber or Lyft to vet its drivers. If either rideshare service were to let someone without a driver’s license accept fares, they would be violating their duty of care to their clients.
Breach of Duty of Care
A party is in violation of their duty of care when they commit an act that most people would say is careless or reckless.
For example, suppose that a rideshare driver is speeding or runs a red light, which leads to a crash. This driver chose not to comply with the rules of the road and can therefore be held responsible for property damage and other harm that they’ve caused.
Causation
Your lawyer can highlight how a breach of a duty of care toward you contributed to your Uber or Lyft collision. To illustrate this point, your attorney can utilize accident scene photos, traffic camera footage of your crash, police reports, Uber or Lyft app data, witness statements, and other evidence in their argument.
Additionally, your lawyer can provide a judge or jury with information about your damages. They want the court to see that your vehicle accident has affected you financially and that the negligent party should be ordered to compensate you for your losses from the incident.
How Do Insurance Policies Work in Ridesharing Crash Cases?
Your ridesharing accident lawyer can teach you about the role of liability coverage and other forms of insurance relating to Uber or Lyft crash cases. They can help you obtain compensation from an at-fault party’s insurance policy. At the same time, your attorney remains open to bringing your case to trial.
Rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors. Uber and Lyft provide their respective drivers with auto insurance coverage, which is in effect as long as an individual is accepting fares and has their ridesharing app active. Alternatively, if a ridesharing driver doesn’t have their Uber or Lyft app on, they are covered under their personal auto insurance policy.
Your attorney can request money through an insurance claim with the insurer of Uber or Lyft or the driver in your ridesharing crash. Your claim may allow you to secure compensation for your crash losses. On the other hand, if your losses exceed a liable party’s insurance policy coverage limits, a lawsuit may be necessary for you to get sufficient compensation.
When to Submit a Ridesharing Accident Wrongful Death Claim
You are devastated after you lose a family member in a fatal rideshare services collision. This loss makes it tough for you and your loved ones to feel comfortable about your family’s future. At this difficult time, meeting with a wrongful death lawyer could benefit you and your loved ones as you try to figure out the next steps forward from your tragedy.
A ridesharing collision wrongful death claim will not change the past. Yet, your legal claim allows you to pursue compensation from anyone responsible for your family member’s fatal ridesharing collision. It may also help you gain a sense of closure on a challenging chapter in your life.
Your wrongful death attorney will remain accessible at each stage of the claims process. They will commit time and resources to your claim and put you in a position to get money for your late family member’s medical bills, burial and funeral expenses, and other losses.
Our Ridesharing Accident Lawyers Won’t Charge You Anything Until We Win Your Case
Rideshare apps have made transportation fast and easy for many people across the United States. If your ridesharing driver causes an accident in which you’re injured, you have the right to pursue compensation. Or, if a ridesharing driver crashes their car into yours, it may be beneficial to seek compensation through a claim or lawsuit.
At Sweet James Accident Attorneys, we want to level the playing field for our clients as they deal with rideshare companies, their insurers, and the drivers involved. With our team by your side, you don’t pay any legal fees or costs until we get you compensation from a liable party.
To find out more, discuss your case with our skilled Lyft or Uber accident lawyers.
Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
