Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Rideshare Accident Attorney in Fresno, California

Even if your driver has a perfect 5.0 rating, Uber and Lyft accidents happen every single day. Studies have found that even though rideshare services have reduced DUI incidents by 20%, they’ve also increased the number of fatalities on the road by 3%.

• Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have increased congestion by so much on U.S. roads that they cause almost 1,000 more traffic deaths per year.

• 
  In a recent one-year period, Uber reported 107 deaths in 97 accidents.

• 
  In rideshare accidents, 58% of victims are other drivers, passengers, or pedestrians, 21% are rideshare passengers, and the remaining 21% are rideshare drivers.

Getting into a car accident is stressful enough, especially when it comes to dealing with insurance companies. When a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft is involved, that adds another complicating layer – and another large corporation to deal with.
Whether you’re a rideshare driver, a passenger on a trip, another driver on the road, or even a pedestrian, you could have a legal claim if you get injured in a rideshare accident. But can you sue Uber or Lyft? What is the process of filing a lawsuit in these types of cases?
An experienced rideshare accident lawyer can help you cut through the confusion, put fault where it belongs, and get the financial support you need to recover after an injury. At HWG Law, your initial consultation is free and we take rideshare accident cases on a contingency fee basis – so you don’t pay us until we recover compensation for you.

The sooner you address both of these tasks, the better. First, you want to catch any injuries before they get worse. Unfortunately, many car accidents cause latent injuries that aren’t obvious immediately. This can happen most commonly with traumatic brain injuries like concussions, where you may not even realize you lost consciousness or suffered an injury. Instead, you may experience symptoms days or even weeks after your accident.
When you see a doctor about your injuries, you also start to establish a document trail after the accident. The sooner you do this, the easier it will be to link your injuries to the crash. You can also get an understanding of the severity of your injuries and the treatment you’ll need.
Documenting injuries is the first step to gathering evidence about who caused the crash. Your lawyer can help track down the most helpful evidence to establish your claim for damages.
Similar to treating injuries, it’s best to record evidence when it’s “fresh,” before the conditions change or the evidence disappears. For example, you should take photographs and videos of the scene as soon as possible – maybe there’s a hazardous condition when the roads are flooded or there’s a tree blocking a critical view. If the tree gets cut down after the crash, you could lose the chance to gather important evidence.

Can You Sue Uber or Lyft After a Crash?

In order to drive for Uber or Lyft, rideshare drivers must carry their own insurance coverage for car accidents. Uber and Lyft also provide their own liability insurance coverage on top of each driver’s insurance to cover anything that the driver’s insurance might not.
Depending on who’s at fault, your injuries could potentially be covered by:

• Your own insurance coverage,

• 
  Uber or Lyft’s insurance coverage, or

• 
  The insurance of another driver who caused the crash.

Your attorney can help you determine which is the most appropriate option for filing a claim.
Unfortunately, Uber and Lyft are not as interested in paying out insurance claims as they are in creating profits for shareholders. Insurance companies have similar motivations for denying and minimizing payouts on claims. If your claim doesn’t get denied, you could find yourself facing a lowball settlement offer that doesn’t begin to cover your real losses.
As a passenger, you are responsible for your own safety to an extent. For example, if you fail to wear a seatbelt and get injured as a result, you could be partly at fault for your own injuries. Rideshare companies may try to deny your claims or blame you for the accident by claiming you were a drunk or rowdy passenger. You could gather witness testimony and other types of evidence to back up your claims.
Before accepting any settlement offers, it’s critical to talk to an attorney in order to maximize your recovery after a rideshare accident. When you work with a lawyer, they can deal with the insurance companies for you. An experienced lawyer will know how much your claim is worth – and will fight to get you what you’re truly owed.