Not only are accidents frightening, unsettling to a victim’s sense of well-being, and often painful and debilitating, but they’re also legally complex, particularly in fault-based insurance states like California. Any car accident compensation claim involves legal complexities, but when an accident occurs in a rideshare vehicle—or in another car in a collision with a rideshare vehicle—it’s even more challenging.
Navigating a rideshare accident is different than an accident involving private vehicles in many ways, beginning with the process immediately after the accident, and during a compensation claim to recover damages like medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. This makes the expertise of a Van Nuys Uber/Lyft accident attorney incredibly important.
What to Know About the Scene of a Rideshare Accident
The rideshare industry has exploded in the past decade, making taxi services nearly obsolete and city bus services less frequently utilized. However, the additional daily traffic generated by rideshares like Uber and Lyft has increased overall accidents by as much as three percent.
After an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, there are steps to take right at the scene of the accident that diverge from the aftermath of a typical car accident. First, the Uber and Lyft apps have emergency tool kits included that let accident victims report the accident to the rideshare company. As a passenger in a rideshare vehicle during a collision, if you’re physically alert and able to do so, reporting the accident through the phone app helps with a later compensation claim by providing evidence about where and when the accident occurred. The driver’s app should also automatically recognize and report a collision.
Using a cell phone camera after an accident to document photos of the damaged vehicles, accident scene, and injuries also helps provide crucial evidence in a claim for compensation later.
Understanding the Differences Between Rideshare Accident Insurance and Standard Auto Insurance
Major rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft do not directly employ drivers. This insulates them from direct liability in most rideshare accident claims. Instead, they use independent contractors as drivers and require them to carry specialized rideshare insurance to cover accidents. Navigating this type of insurance is different than typical insurance claims because rideshare insurance uses a structured policy with coverage dependent upon the stage of the rideshare. The insurance coverage after a rideshare accident works as follows:
- When a rideshare driver uses their car for private purposes, their personal auto insurance coverage is in place
- Once a driver turns on the rideshare app and seeks a booking, the lower-tiered coverage is in place with $25,000 in property damage coverage available, $50,000 per person in injury coverage, or $100,000 total per accident
- As soon as a driver books a passenger, during the drive to the pickup location, and during the rideshare journey with the passenger, the top coverage is in place with up to $1 million in coverage available per accident
Rideshare app information and evidence gathered at the scene of the accident help to prevent insurance companies from disputing their coverage or pointing fingers at other policies.
You Are More Likely to Need an Attorney After a Rideshare Accident
Hiring a car accident lawyer is beneficial after any car accident because an attorney has years of experience with traffic laws, liability laws, and insurance systems and uses this information to make the most compelling possible claim for a client’s compensation. After a rideshare accident, hiring an attorney with experience in this unique area is even more essential due to the increased complexity of a compensation claim.
