What Should I Do if I Was Involved in a Car Accident While Using a Ridesharing Service?

With over 10,000 individuals driving for ridesharing services such as Uber or Lyft in Texas, finding a driver to give you a ride in a pinch is as easy as opening an app on your phone. However, if your rideshare driver is in a car accident, what was supposed to be a simple trip can quickly spiral into a stressful situation.

If you receive a bodily injury in a rideshare accident and need medical attention, you may be uncertain how to proceed. Since drivers working for Uber and Lyft are independent contractors, pursuing compensation if you were in a rideshare accident can be challenging. 

You may wonder if you should seek compensation from the other party’s personal car insurance or if filing a lawsuit against the rideshare company is your best option. Keep reading to learn what to do if you are involved in a car accident while using a rideshare company as a passenger.

Steps to Take After a Rideshare Accident

If you’re the passenger in an Uber or Lyft accident, you’ll want to take specific steps to ensure your safety and prepare yourself for the claim you may end up filing. Whether you know you received an injury during the crash or feel uninjured, these steps are still beneficial since sometimes injuries aren’t apparent right after a collision. 

Check for Injuries

Following any car accident, it’s essential to assess all parties involved for injuries. If you, the rideshare driver, or anyone else involved in the accident has been injured, medical care must be sought. The Uber or Lyft driver will probably take charge of the situation, but if they don’t, you’ll want to advocate for yourself and others to make sure you get the care you need.

Collect Information

Collecting details will help you if you need to file a claim. Information such as the rideshare driver’s name, license plate number, and the insurance company they use can help if you need to take legal action. 

However, don’t limit your data collection to the person driving your Uber or Lyft. You’ll also want to get the other driver’s personal information, license plate numbers of any personal vehicles involved in the crash, and the driver’s insurance information.

Photograph the Accident Scene

Taking photos of where the rideshare car accident occurred and any property damage caused will ensure you remember all the incident details. If you are injured in a rideshare accident, you will also want to photograph your injuries. 

When wondering if you should photograph something, remember that it is better to take too many photographs and have unnecessary information than wish you’d taken more when it’s too late. There is always a chance that the pictures you take will be crucial to getting the insurance company to compensate you or prove which driver was at fault. 

Report the Accident to Law Enforcement

Your Uber driver will likely call the police, but you’ll want to do it if they don’t. An officer will create an accident report, taking statements from the rideshare driver, any other driver involved, and you. This police report will be used by the insurance companies when determining fault and any lawyers hired by you or the other drivers. 

Report the Accident to Uber or Lyft Customer Service

Both Uber and Lyft have features in the app allowing you to contact the rideshare companies if your driver is in a collision. Even though your driver will report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app, you still need to submit a report. Companies need to hear your side of the story, and cooperating with them will make pursuing compensation for your injuries more straightforward.

Who Is Responsible For Compensating Me For My Injuries in a Rideshare Vehicle Accident?

Determining compensation following a rideshare accident can be difficult. If you are injured in a rideshare crash, you may wonder what available insurance coverages you can use. 

With numerous car insurance providers involved, it’s no wonder injured passengers don’t know if they should file a claim with their own insurance, the Uber or Lyft vehicle driver’s insurance, Uber or Lyft’s insurance company, or the insurance provider of the other driver involved in the accident. 

The truth is, you could end up seeking insurance coverage from any of these options. Which party was responsible for the crash will determine which party’s available insurance coverage you use.

What if the Rideshare Driver Is At Fault For the Accident?

When rideshare drivers cause a collision, the passenger will not be liable. Uber and Lyft each have a commercial insurance policy that includes liability insurance. However, understanding the various parties’ insurance coverages can sometimes be confusing since both the rideshare company’s and the driver’s personal insurance provide coverage. 

Although coverage limits vary, Uber and Lyft require their drivers to hold personal car insurance. There is also a risk that the driver’s insurance provider may refuse the claim, even if the driver is at fault, if they do not cover drivers using their vehicles for a business like Uber and Lyft. 

If this occurs, Uber, Lyft, or any other rideshare services you use should provide additional coverage. Uber and Lyft both hold maximum liability coverage of $1,000,000, which can cover property damage and medical bills.

When the Other Party Is At Fault

If the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident is to blame, a claim must be filed with their insurance company. Since you may not know which party is at fault immediately, collecting all parties’ insurance information when you are involved in an accident is vital. The other driver’s liability limit, total coverage limit, and whether their insurance provider agrees to compensate you fairly will determine whether you need to file a lawsuit to seek compensation. 

Can You Sue Uber and Lyft for an Accident?

Individuals who drive for Uber and Lyft are not employed by the ridesharing companies, which means the services are not likely to be held liable for their actions. In addition, since rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft hire drivers as independent contractors, they usually aren’t considered responsible for their mistakes since they are not employees of the company.

Rideshare services’ insurance coverage includes claims made by passengers involved in an accident, which means passengers can sue the rideshare company under certain circumstances. Uber, Lyft, and other ride request companies have high coverage limits to cover most claims against their insurance policy.

Consult a Car Accident Attorney

One way to bring a successful lawsuit against a company like Uber or Lyft would be to prove negligence on the part of the company, not the Lyft driver. Another legitimate reason to pursue a lawsuit is if the insurance policies of the driver and the company are insufficient to fully compensate the passenger for their injuries and property damage.

Lyft riders are also unlikely to be able to successfully sue a company unless they can prove the company made an error that resulted in them being injured. Since rideshare companies do everything in their power to protect themselves from lawsuits, you’ll want to consult an experienced lawyer if you believe you have grounds to sue a company.

Were You Injured in a Rideshare Collision?

When you hop into a rideshare driver’s vehicle, you expect to arrive at your destination safely, and most of the time, that’s what happens. However, if an unfortunate situation occurs, and you find yourself suffering bodily injury after a vehicle accident, you’ll want to make sure your rights are protected.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Right Away

If you are involved in an accident, schedule a no-obligation consultation with Brian C. Gutierrez right away by calling 979-271-5338 or scheduling online. Then, let our team negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf and pursue the compensation you deserve.