If you are one of the many people who has been harmed in a ridesharing accident, you should know and prepare to defend your rights. A personal injury lawyer can help.
You are no longer forced to pay excessive amounts of money to get around town. Thanks to ridesharing, you can get to wherever you need to go in a fast and cost-effective way. Many rideshare drivers will even take you to a different town or city if necessary. They have made traveling easier and much less expensive.
This benefit has not come without other types of cost. There are now more private transports on the streets than ever before. However, many of the drivers have not received the proper training and instruction to operate their vehicles safely. Nearly anyone can sign-up to be an Uber or Lyft driver. The companies have no proper screening process. This exposes the public to drivers with poor and problematic driving records.
If you are one of the many people who has been harmed in a ridesharing accident, you should know and prepare to defend your rights. A personal injury lawyer can help.
The rise in ridesharing accidents
Accidents involving Uber vehicles have increased in the last few years. Most researchers agree that two main factors are driving this trend. First, ridesharing gives many people the opportunity to earn extra money. Rideshare drivers tend to be people who are stretched for cash and so take a driving shift when they are not at the jobs that provide their main source of income.
Second, ridesharing allows consumers to travel for less money. However, such low fares are not so good for drivers. Many drivers feel compelled to do whatever is necessary to increase the rate at which they pick-up and drop-off passengers—this includes violating speed limits and other traffic laws.
What to do after an Uber accident
An accident is the last thing you expect when you step into an Uber vehicle. If you are like most people, you do not bother to keep your eyes on the road through the ride. If your vehicle collides with another vehicle, it will shock and surprise you. After you have regained your bearings, you should do the following:
1. Stay calm and remain at the scene
You must not leave the scene. Doing so is against the law and could put you in serious legal trouble. Even if you were not the driver, the police will want to speak to you. Unless you are carried away by an ambulance, you must stay until the authorities release you.
2. Check your injuries
Pain is not always the result of serious injuries. You must check for serious injuries manually.
3. Call emergency services
Do not delay before making this call. The operator will ask questions about your injuries and that of others. Be clear and precise.
4. Get driver information
You should get the name, driver number, and insurance number of your driver. If you believe they took an action that caused the accident, do not bring it up at that moment. Keeping silent is the only way of keeping the peace, which must be the priority after such an event.
5. Talk to witnesses
You should speak to the people who observed the accident. Write down what they tell you they saw. You may not get everything, but you will get enough for a general picture of how the accident unfolded. Be sure to get the names and contact details of the people you spoke with.
6. Get yourself examined at a hospital
You are not a doctor. You are therefore ill-equipped to determine the state of your health. Even if you do not feel hurt, you should go to the emergency room for an exam. It is better to be safe than sorry. If you were bruised and beaten up in the crash, you should take photos of your wounds before receiving treatment.
7. Gather documents
Be sure to get copies of all physician records related to your case. You should also start writing down your memories and recollections of the accident.
8. Call a lawyer
Your first call should be to a ridesharing accident lawyer in Los Angeles. They will provide you with the legal advice you need to get compensation.
Why you need a lawyer
Uber has a policy of offering $1 million to passenger injured in accidents involving their vehicles. This is not money they are willing to give immediately. They will expect the driver’s insurer to settle with the injured party. If the driver is underinsured and does not have a policy that covers such contingencies, only then will Uber step in.
Uber will first make a low-dollar offer. If they make direct contact with you, it is essential that you refer them to your lawyer. Indeed, you should allow your Uber accident lawyer to handle all communications and negotiations. This is the only way to avoid confusion and prevent you from accidentally undercutting your own position.
Your Uber accident lawyer will know best whether the initial offer is a fair one, and they will be able to respond on your behalf. The smart move may be to accept this offer, if it covers your expenses and compensates you fairly for what you have suffered. However, if you were badly injured in the crash, then your lawyer will press for the full million dollars, or more if the situation warrants.
The consequences of a serious accident
A serious accident can throw your life into upheaval. It may require you to undergo a series of invasive and extremely painful operations to make you healthy again. You will need to spend even more time in physical therapy. All the while, you will not be able to earn a wage. If the accident caused a permanent disability, you may be forced to leave your job and will be hard pressed to find a new one in your condition.
This can put you and your family in serious difficulties. You should not be forced to shoulder this burden alone. Uber should be held responsible for its part in this tragedy. Your lawyer will help you get what you deserve.
What your attorney will do
West Coast Trial Lawyers specialize in helping ordinary people defend their rights against big companies like Uber. Over the last decade, Uber has maintained the position that it cannot be held responsible for accidents involving its drivers because they are not legally employees of the company; they work only as contractors. Judges and juries throughout the country have rejected this line of reasoning and have awarded large settlements to passengers who were gravely injured in accidents caused by reckless Uber drivers. The attorney you hired can get you the same kind of result.
The first thing they will do is get their own private investigator team to reassess the evidence of the case. The latter will review the witness statements and events of the accident. They will re-interview people who observed the accident and interview others missed by the police officers who showed up at the scene. This can often provide new insight into how the accident took place.
Your lawyer will also bring in auto accident reconstruction experts who can use forensic evidence to build a simulation of how the accident unfolded. Medical experts can supply statements describing the debilitating effects of your injuries.
If you have been in an Uber accident, you need dedicated and intelligent legal counsel. You should call West Coast Trial Lawyers to discuss your options.
