Ridesharing companies such as Uber have made commuting more convenient for millions of Americans. However, mishaps can still happen during a ridesharing booking, and that is why it helps to know an Uber accident lawyer.
Throughout this article, we will talk about what you should do in the aftermath of an accident involving an Uber driver. We will discuss how you can keep yourself safe right after the incident and how you can obtain valuable information for your case.
You can also expect to learn more about the complexities of dealing with Uber following an accident. Find out what you should do moving forward and who you can sue for compensation.
What Passengers Should Do Following an Uber Accident
Getting into a car accident can be a harrowing and even traumatizing experience. The first time it happens, you may have a tough time keeping your wits about you. The chaotic moments right after the accident can be disorienting, and if you have been injured, they become even tougher to handle.
Difficult as that situation may be, you still need to do certain things to ensure your safety and the safety of anyone else who was with you in the vehicle. Later, the things you do after the accident can also prove crucial if you are planning to seek compensation.
Here in this section, we have detailed the steps you must take after the Uber accident. Check them out so you can be better prepared in case something bad happens during a future booking.
Check if You Have Been Injured
When it comes to being involved in an accident of any kind, you should always prioritize your safety. As soon as you can, check your body for any injuries.
Check for injuries even if it was a minor accident. Avoid underestimating the impact an accident can have on your body because they can be damaging.
Check on the Other People inside the Vehicle
After you are done checking on your own potential injuries, you should turn your attention to the other people in the vehicle. Check on any companions who were traveling with you. If they are conscious, ask if they are hurt anywhere.
You should also check on your Uber driver. See if they have been injured or rendered unconscious due to the accident.
Call 911
Now that you have checked on everyone inside the vehicle, your next course of action should be to call 911. Get first responders to the scene right away so they can treat anyone who was injured after the accident.
Look out your window so you can tell the operator your current location. That will help the emergency responders reach your location faster.
A common mistake people make in that situation is neglecting to call 911 because no one was seriously injured. We understand that some people do not want to deal with the hassle of calling 911, but it truly is important in that situation to call for help.
Even if no one at the scene of the accident requires medical attention, you can still call for police to head there. They can provide valuable assistance too.
Keep Other Motorists away from the Scene of the Accident
While waiting for help to arrive, you should try to secure the scene of the accident as well as you can. If the Uber driver is conscious, ask them to pull over to the side of the road.
Things will get a bit more complicated if your Uber driver is unconscious.
You should not mess with the vehicle in any way. What you can do instead is let other motorists know that an accident has taken place. Step out of the vehicle carefully and stand close to it so motorists will move away from the scene.
If you are too injured to move around, go ahead and stay inside the vehicle while you wait for help to arrive.
Collect Information at the Scene of the Accident
You will need evidence if you want to receive compensation following an Uber accident. The police officers can help you gather information when they get to the scene of the accident, but there is nothing wrong with collecting evidence yourself.
Start by collecting contact details from everyone involved in the accident. Take down your Uber driver’s insurance information as well. You will need that later in the process.
Your Uber driver may be hesitant to share their insurance information. In that case, get the police officers to help you obtain it.
Speak to any witnesses at the scene of the accident too. When it comes time to figure out who is to blame for the accident, the information they provide could prove vital.
This is also the time for you to take some pictures. Take pictures of the vehicles, the scene of the accident, and anything else that you believe is important.
Speak to the Police
The police officers at the scene will be gathering information. They will also investigate what happened and produce a report later.
In all likelihood, you will need that police report to substantiate your claims when the time comes for you to seek compensation. Make sure you obtain a copy of it.
Jot down the police officers’ names, contact details, and badge numbers so you can reach them in the future.
Contact Uber
Uber instructs passengers to contact them if any accident occurs. Doing so will create a report about your accident so it is worth the effort.
To report the accident to Uber, open your app and head to Trip Issues and Fare Adjustments. Once you are there, choose the “I was in an accident” option. Follow that by providing information about your trip.
From there, Uber will ask you to offer details about what happened. Be careful about what you say here because Uber may use that against you later. All that you want here is to get Uber to create a report.
If you are unsure about what to say, you can tell Uber that an accident occurred and leave it at that. An Uber representative may also get in touch you with after you make the report. You can again limit what you have to say until you have spoken to an Uber accident lawyer.
Head to the Hospital
If you collected information, spoke to the police, and contacted Uber, that means you are probably feeling okay after the accident. Even so, you should still head to the hospital.
Some injuries stemming from car accidents do not always manifest themselves right away. It may be a while before you start experiencing their symptoms.
Being cautious is not a bad thing in this scenario. Get checked out and make sure that you do not have any internal injuries or something similar.
Talk to Your Uber Accident Lawyer
With everything else done, you should now talk to your Uber accident lawyer. Seek their guidance on what you should do next.
Remember that you will potentially have to deal with Uber here and that will not be easy. You will need an experienced lawyer on your side so you can navigate a potentially difficult situation.
How Does Insurance Work during an Uber Booking?
Part of the reason why dealing with Uber after an accident can be so complicated is because of their insurance policy. It can be quite complicated to say the least.
Basically, the type of insurance coverage that Uber drivers have will depend on the state of the app.
The Uber App Is Closed
First off, if the app is closed or the driver is offline for whatever reason, Uber’s insurance policy does not cover them. Only the driver’s insurance policy offers coverage at this point.
This does not make much of a difference if you are a passenger since you are probably not in the vehicle at that time.
However, if you were a pedestrian or operating a vehicle when an Uber driver hit you, you will need to settle the issue with only the driver. Uber will not get involved.
The Uber App Is Open and the Driver Is Waiting for a Booking
The next state applies when the app is open, and the driver is waiting for a booking. At this point, Uber does maintain third party liability insurance for the driver. Yet again, this will only matter if you were a pedestrian or driving another vehicle when the accident took place.
The third-party liability coverage allots $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident.
You may find that coverage to be somewhat lacking and decide to sue Uber, so they provide more compensation. That will not be easy due to the passage of Proposition 22. The best thing you can do at that point as the victim of an accident is to partner with an Uber accident lawyer and figure out what to do next.
The Uber Driver Is on the Way to a Passenger or in the Middle of a Booking
Lastly, Uber also has a policy in place when drivers are either on the way to a passenger or are currently in the middle of a booking. For those situations, the company provides up to $1,000,000 in third party liability along with uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury. The policy also includes contingent comprehensive and collision coverage.
Why You Need to Hire an Uber Accident Lawyer
Numerous factors will come into play if you want compensation following your involvement in an Uber accident. Sorting through them and understanding what you must do is not easy. Still, working together with an Uber accident lawyer can make the whole ordeal more manageable.
Included in this section are the different ways an Uber accident lawyer can provide assistance.
Determining Who Is to Blame for the Accident
If the app was open when the Uber driver hit you or your vehicle, you can receive compensation from the insurance policy the company maintains. However, they are not going to hand you a payout without a fight.
From a financial perspective, it would make more sense for them to heap the blame on you instead of their driver. That possibility is precisely why you need evidence.
Hopefully, you obtained enough evidence previously to demonstrate that you are not to blame for the accident. Your lawyer can also help collect evidence from any witnesses and obtain the police report.
By the way, you should know that you can still receive compensation even if you are partially to blame for the accident. California is a comparative fault state so you can receive compensation proportionate to the amount of blame you share for what happened.
Compensation Matters
The assistance provided by your Uber accident lawyer will be valuable when you are trying to work out the amount of compensation you deserve.
Your lawyer can help you identify the exact amount that represents fair compensation in your case. That is not all they can do, though.
Uber’s lawyers may also get in touch with you to negotiate a settlement. While speaking to them, they could make a compelling case that settling is the right move even if you would end up with a smaller financial award.
Leave those negotiations up to your lawyer. They are well equipped to handle them, and they can tell if the other side is negotiating in good faith right away.
Easier Filing
If you sustained injuries during the accident, moving forward with any legal proceedings is going to be tough. It is better to leave that matter up to your trusted lawyer.
The state of California does give plaintiffs up to two years from the date of the accident to file their case, but it is still best to handle that matter as soon as possible. Going through the filing process will also be easier for an already experienced Uber accident lawyer.
Obtaining compensation following an Uber accident is not a simple or easy undertaking. Allow us at The Broadway Law Firm to help with that matter. Contact us today and let us help you obtain the compensation you deserve.