Have you recently been injured in a Lyft or Uber accident? If so, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for the harm you have suffered. Call Injury Trial Lawyers, APC to learn about how we can help you file a personal injury claim for damages. Our San Diego Rideshare Accident Attorney has more than 22 years of experience and has helped thousands of injured San Diego accident victims recover millions in compensation for their injuries.
We know that you expect to get from one place to another safely when you use a rideshare service and that an unexpected accident and injury can be devastating. We will fight to make sure that you are properly compensated for your injuries by the at-fault driver and/or rideshare company. Call today to schedule a free consultation with our San Diego Rideshare Accident Attorney.
Popularity of Ridesharing Continues to Rise
The popularity of ridesharing apps and programs has risen significantly over the past few years. Uber is, by far, the most popular ridesharing program. There are approximately 1 million Uber trips every day. As of November 2017, there were more than 7 million Uber drivers and 50 million Uber riders. In total, there have been more than 5 billion Uber trips.
Statistics show that the number of Americans who choose the travel using rideshare programs continues to rise. Other rideshare programs, like Lyft, are gaining momentum and giving more rides. As the demand for rideshare trips increases, so does the likelihood of accidents and passenger injury.
Common Rideshare Accident Injuries
The personal injury lawyers at Injury Trial Lawyers, APC have seen the devastating and life-changing injuries that a rideshare accident can cause a passenger to suffer. We have successfully helped rideshare accident victims recover compensation for injuries including:
- Fractures and broken bones
- Burn injury
- Loss of vision and/or hearing,
- Concussions
- Spinal cord damage
- Brain injury
- Catastrophic injury, such as paralysis or quadriplegia, and
- Wrongful death.
Causes of Rideshare Accidents
Ridesharing programs like Uber and Lyft do not operate in a bubble. These rideshare cars are out on the road with other vehicles. As a result, there are a variety of different factors that could cause a rideshare car accident. Leading causes of rideshare car accidents in San Diego include:
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Changing lanes without signaling
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Driving at night
- Pedestrians failing to cross at crosswalks
- Lane splitting motorcyclists
- Limited visibility due to weather conditions, and
- Dangerous conditions and/or hazards on the road.
In some cases, there may be more than one contributing factor that causes a rideshare car accident. When there is more than one cause of an accident it is important to determine liability. This is because when more than one person/party contributes to the cause of an accident, each can be held financially responsible. When our San Diego rideshare accident attorneys investigate your case we will determine all of the possible causes and who is responsible for your injuries. These steps will help to ensure that you receive all of the compensation to which you are entitled.
Recovering Compensation for Your Rideshare Accident Injuries
When you are injured in a rideshare accident you may be entitled to recover compensation. To determine who is responsible for paying these damages your attorney will have to determine who is responsible for causing the crash. Any party who contributes to the cause of your accident can be held financially responsible for your damages.
Rideshare Company (Uber, Lyft)
Most rideshare passengers who are injured in an accident want to know if they can sue Uber or Lyft. In most cases, the answer will be ‘no.’ Uber and Lyft are required, by law, to carry a hefty insurance policy with $1 Million of coverage. If you are injured in a rideshare accident and your driver is at fault, you will likely be entitled to collect insurance benefits from the company’s policy. Uber or Lyft may, however, be held personally responsible if they are negligent in the hiring and/or training of their drivers.
Rideshare Driver
Rideshare drivers must get their passengers to their intended destination free from harm. This duty requires them to follow the rules of the road, have a valid license, and drive with care. If the driver breaches this duty they will be considered negligent. If this negligence causes you to suffer an injury the driver can be held financially responsible for your harm. If your rideshare driver is negligent the rideshare company may refuse to pay out insurance proceeds to you. Companies like Uber and Lyft have policies in place to deny claims when an accident is the result of a driver’s misconduct.
Third-Party Driver
What happens if your Uber or Lyft driver isn’t responsible for causing an accident? In these situations, you may be able to recover compensation from the third-party driver who causes the crash. Every driver on the road must drive safely. When drivers become distracted, drive drunk, or drive aggressively they can breach this obligation and be held responsible for their injuries.
Car Manufacturer
If a defective product or vehicle is responsible for an injury-causing accident the company that made or sold that product can be liable for damages. In California, product liability laws help to ensure that companies put safe products on the market. When products are defective, the companies who design, manufacture, and sell those products can be on the hook for your injuries.
Government
San Diego or the state of California may be responsible for your injuries if a dangerous condition on public property contributed to your rideshare accident. If you can prove that the government entity responsible for maintaining the road knew, or should have known, about the condition and failed to fix it in a reasonable amount of time you may have a successful claim.
Rideshare Accident Damages
Rideshare accidents are a specific and unique type of car accident. Victims of rideshare accidents are often passengers who have little-to-no control over the situation and, as a result, can suffer injuries through no fault of their own. Fortunately, rideshare accident victims can be entitled to recover damages from the person (or people) responsible for causing the accident. By filing a personal injury claim for damages, victims may be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
When you suffer an injury in a rideshare accident you will probably face some significant financial burdens. Economic damages are awarded in personal injury cases to compensate victims for the verifiable financial losses that are associated with an accident. If you are injured in a San Diego rideshare accident you may be entitled to recover economic damages to make up for:
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Rehabilitation
- Medication
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Lost wages, and
- Reduced earning capacity.
Non-Economic Damages
Rideshare accidents can impose serious emotional, mental, and psychological injuries. Many times, these injuries don’t necessarily have a direct financial cost. However, this doesn’t mean that these injuries and harms are any less serious or devastating. Non-economic damages are awarded in personal injury cases to compensate for these hard-to-value and intimate injuries. If you are injured in a San Diego rideshare accident you may be entitled to recover non-economic damages to make up for:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Loss of consortium.
When Can I File a Rideshare Accident Lawsuit?
If you have suffered a bodily injury as a result of a rideshare car accident you will have two years from the date of the crash to file a claim for damages. If you do not file your claim before the statute of limitations expires you will probably not be able to recover the money you need and deserve. If there are special circumstances in your case (e.g., you were a minor at the time of the crash, you didn’t discover the injury right away, or the defendant cannot be found) you may be able to extend the period you have to file a claim. It is important to speak with an experienced San Diego rideshare accident attorney as soon as possible after a crash to make sure that all claims are filed on time.
San Diego Rideshare Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in a San Diego Uber or Lyft accident do not hesitate to contact Injury Trial Lawyers, APC for help. As an accident victim, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for your injuries. The money you recover from a personal injury claim can be incredibly helpful as you struggle to pay costly medical bills and recover from life-changing injuries. The chances of maximizing the compensation you are awarded will increase when you hire an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney to handle your case.
At Injury Trial Lawyers, APC, our San Diego Rideshare Accident Attorney understand that an unexpected injury can change your life forever. When you hire our skilled team we will fight to make sure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries. Rideshare accident cases can be particularly tricky because they involve complex insurance policies and multiple parties. Our rideshare accident attorneys have the experience, skills, and knowledge necessary to maximize your recovery. Call us today to set up a free consultation and learn more. We will review your case, explain your rights as an accident victim, and answer the questions you have.