Uber & Lyft Accident Attorneys in Sacramento

In any accident, if you are harmed due to someone else’s recklessness, negligence, or careless error, you may be able to take legal action against them to pay for the costs you have unfairly incurred as a result. Your rights are the same in Uber/Lyft accidents, but the challenges tend to be a bit different than in other collisions.

For starters, Uber and Lyft drivers work for their companies but are not directly employed by them. Strictly speaking, they are considered independent contractors and the company is not immediately liable to pay for damages and expenses associated with an accident, even if it was directly caused by one of their drivers.

As it pertains to your injury and recovery, this means your driver (or the driver whose negligence resulted in your harm) will first have to rely on their own insurance coverage, which tends to be significantly more limited than that of their company. You can only recover as much as the at fault driver's insurance policy will allow.

However, the insurance settlement isn't always enough, especially if your injuries are serious and resulted in extended hospitalization, rehabilitation, or a change in your ability to work and earn a living. There are some cases in which you may need to pursue compensation from the driver’s company to ensure all your expenses are covered.

If your situation requires that you file a lawsuit or personal injury claim with Uber, Lyft, or another ridesharing company, prepare for opposition and some difficulty. These companies exist to make money and they will not exactly leap to provide you with the money you need.

If you were a passenger being transported by an Uber or Lyft driver at the time of the accident, you should collect the name, contact, and insurance information of both drivers. Do so even if you are not injured (or do not think you have been injured) at the time of the accident, because you may need it later. (This is especially true if you unknowingly sustained a soft tissue injury such as a concussion.)

If you were an Uber or Lyft driver, you should also collect the other driver’s information and that of your passenger(s). Even though ridesharing companies typically insure drivers, they (the drivers) are still considered independent contractors and must first rely on their own auto insurance provider to appropriately compensate affected drivers and passengers after an accident. However, the company’s insurance policy can be in if your personal insurance isn’t enough to cover the full cost of the accident and resulting injuries—but the company is likely to fight it in order to keep from having to pay up.

If you were another driver or passenger at the time of the accident, it is equally important that you obtain important information from the other drivers and passengers, regardless of apparent injuries. As time goes on, you may discover that you have been adversely affected by the accident and wish to seek compensation from the other driver.

Injured persons may need to seek compensation from Uber or Lyft if a driver’s insurance policy is not enough, as may be the case if there are serious injuries such as spinal fractures, brain damage, or other long-term harm. Be advised that you cannot do this on your own. A corporation like Uber will look for reasons to discredit your claim or low-ball you with far less compensation than you need to afford hospital bills, medicine, rehabilitation, and other costs of recovery.