Following motor vehicle crashes involving ridesharing vehicles, questions will arise whether there is liability on the part of Uber or Lyft when an injury is suffered.
A personal injury attorney will help an injured party determine liability by looking into the details of the case, such as which driver was the cause, whether the Lyft or Uber drivers are required to carry insurance, and whether those injured should sue Lyft or Uber, its driver or another motorist.
Is it Best to Sue Uber When the Driver of the Uber Car was at Fault?
Personal injury attorneys can help if you were harmed when you were:
• A passenger of a Lyft or Uber car
• Riding or driving in another car hit by a Lyft or Uber car
• A motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian hit by a Lyft or Uber car
If you were involved in a crash with a Lyft or Uber driver, you must be
able to show that the driver was negligent to have grounds for a claim.
As with any car accident claim, the person filing the case must be able
to show two things to secure the case: damages (how badly you were harmed)
and liability (who was at fault for causing the injuries).
Even if the Lyft or Uber driver was the one at fault, it can be hard to
secure a claim if he or she only has personal car insurance coverage.
This is because personal auto insurance coverage does not always provide
coverage when drivers are engaged in commercial operations such as transporting
passengers for a rideshare.
If the Lyft or Uber driver was the cause of a crash during a period in
which he or she was providing rideshare services or was in-route to provide
such services, the rideshare is supposed to provide insurance coverage.
Is Suing an Option When Another Driver Was at Fault?
Although motorists are required to carry insurance in most states, not all do. The liable driver may not have the financial capacity to pay for your pain and suffering. Certain laws can help you. There are requirements for rideshare companies to carry $1 million for underinsured and uninsured purposes that may provide insurance coverage when you are negligently injured by another driver who does not have insurance or enough insurance to compensate you for your injuries.
The insurance sets in the moment a passenger gets into the Lyft or Uber
car until they leave the vehicle. What is underinsured and uninsured motorist
coverage? We will tell you what it is not first.
When insurance comes to mind, liability insurance pops up first. This
safeguards your assets if you are the one at fault for an incident and
you damage someone else’s property or hurt someone. Liability insurance
is not going to protect you from harm inflicted from an accident caused
by someone else. This is where underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage
comes into play. When the at-fault driver does not have insurance or not
enough coverage, certain laws dictate that the rideshare organization
provides $1 million of insurance.
To find out more or to schedule a more in-depth review with a ridesharing
injury attorney, the leading attorneys at Shevlin Smith can help. We have
experience in cases in the Fairfax, Virginia and the Washington, D.C.
areas with
car accidents involving Uber or Lyft drivers.
Contact our firm at (703) 721-4233 to discuss your ridesharing accident case today.
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