Who Can Be Held Liable For Your Rideshare Accidents?

Companies like Uber and Lyft have shaken transportation, convenience, and accessibility into chaos with a simple push of a smartphone button. There are more vehicles out on the streets for rideshare companies, and rideshare vehicle accidents are mounting. If you were in one of these types of vehicle crashes and got injured, you could be left pondering: who is responsible for your rideshare vehicle accident? Understanding liability in these cases is important, and speaking with a rideshare accident lawyer can assist in determining your available legal options and protecting your rights.

Understanding the Rideshare Accidents

Rideshare car accident can be with other people and in other circumstances. The collisions can be being involved in an accident with another while walking or cycling as a passenger in a rideshare car, or you may be operating your own car and be hit by a rideshare driver. Due to the gig economy framework and the classification of drivers by rideshare businesses, liability could be complex.

The Potentially Liable Parties

1. Rideshare Driver

The most obvious and first party that can be held liable is the rideshare driver him- or herself. If the driver himself or herself was careless and thus responsible for the accident—i.e., speeding, running a red light, or distracted driving—he or she himself or herself is responsible for your damages. But since most rideshare drivers are independent contractors, not employees, it is harder to hold the rideshare company responsible unless there are special circumstances.

2. Rideshare Company (e.g., Uber, Lyft)

Rideshare companies usually have insurance for their drivers under some circumstances. Whether the company is liable will usually depend on what the driver was doing when the accident occurred:

App Off: If the driver was not logged into the rideshare app when the accident occurred, the company is usually not liable. The driver's own automobile insurance would cover damages.
App On, Waiting Ride Request: If the driver was online but had not yet accepted a ride request, then there would be limited rideshare company liability insurance.
Ride Accepted or Passenger in Vehicle: As the passenger is travelling, Uber and Lyft will generally have up to $1 million of liability coverage. This will cover the passenger and the third party who has been involved in the accident.

A lawyer who is an expert in ride-sharing accidents can figure out what precisely your status is and whether the insurance offered by the ride-sharing company will be covering you.

3. Other Drivers

If there was another vehicle involved in the collision, and each of them bore some part of responsibility for its happening, then the driver (and insurance company) of that vehicle can be made to compensate, as well. Not every accident or incident has one sole party, and, often, several parties also have fault to bear, and the exercise of seeking to apportion a percentage of fault comes up as often as it does with questions of compensation.

4. Vehicle Maintenance Providers

Accidents occasionally will result from car failure or mechanical malfunction. In the event that the accident was a result of a faulty vehicle or resulted from a faulty vehicle, the company that produced the vehicle or is responsible for ensuring that the vehicle remains in good working condition can be held responsible.

What Things To Do After a Rideshare Accident?

If you find yourself in a rideshare accident, there are some things you can do to take care of yourself as well as enhance any legal action that may be available:

Get medical help right away, even if you are not seriously hurt.
Call the police and have them write up a report.
Take pictures at the accident scene, obtain statements from witnesses, and exchange information with insurance representatives.
Report the accident to the rideshare firm in their app or by calling their customer line.
Call a rideshare car accident attorney right away to talk over your rights and what should be done next.

Why Legal Help Is Important After a Rideshare Accident?

Rideshare businesses employ lawyers and insurance adjusters whose only job is to make payouts small. It could be overwhelming trying to navigate liability and insurance protection by yourself. A qualified rideshare accident lawyer can examine the accident, assemble evidence, deal with insurers, and battle on your behalf for the compensation to which you're entitled.

Wrapping Up

Rideshare accidents also have an added layer of complexity because they have corporate and independent contractor insurance attached to them. Liability is resolved by investigating what was happening before the accident and whether or not the driver was an independent contractor or a company driver. Whoever it is, it's finding out who is responsible in order to get a proper settlement.

If you were hurt in a rideshare collision, don't struggle alone—speak to an astute rideshare collision lawyer who will take you by the hand and steer you through the legal jungle while safeguarding your rights.