If you have suffered an injury in an Uber or Lyft accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Your compensation can come from a number of different sources
If you were an Uber or Lyft passenger, you can hold one or both of the drivers of the vehicles involved in the accident legally responsible for your injuries. If you were the motorist in the other car involved in the accident with the Uber or Lyft driver, you will need to seek compensation from them.
As you can see, there are many moving pieces in an Uber or Lyft accident case, if you have suffered an injury, so seek help from a experienced car accident lawyer specializing in rideshare accidents.
You Would Usually Begin the Legal Process With a Car Accident Lawyer
In all likelihood, you will begin the process of seeking compensation for Uber or Lyft accident injuries by hiring a lawyer to deal with the insurance company. They can file a claim with the insurer of one or both of the negligent drivers in the accident if their actions caused your injuries.
Negligence is the basis for rideshare accident cases because the driver has done something wrong that will give them the legal obligation to pay you.
You will file a claim against the company providing insurance for the Uber driver (there may be two insurance companies if they were prudent enough to purchase supplemental coverage) or that of the other driver who was involved in the accident.
If both drivers share in the blame for the accident, you may need to deal with both insurance companies to recover the compensation that you are due.
Since you cannot sue Uber or Lyft themselves, it often does not make sense to go straight to filing a lawsuit for a rideshare accident. Your rideshare accident lawyer will advise you to try to resolve your claim informally first since it may save you time and reduce some of the risks involved for you.
The insurance company can see the evidence presented, and they may concede liability for the accident almost right away. If you had to take your case to a jury, they may not even rule in your favor.
Most likely, you will negotiate compensation with the insurance company through the claims process.
If both drivers shared responsibility for the accident, you may need to deal with both companies simultaneously. The hope is that you can avoid filing a lawsuit entirely and you can resolve your case without going to court at all.
You May Need to File a Lawsuit if You Cannot Resolve Your Claim Informally
The insurance company still needs to concede liability and offer you enough money in the claims process to settle your case without the need for litigation. If you were driving the other car involved in the accident, the insurance company may deny your claim entirely.
When that happens, you will have no choice but to file a lawsuit and let the jury decide who should be liable for your accident. The insurance company can also deny your claim because they think the other driver involved in the accident (and not the Uber or Lyft driver) was the cause, and the other insurance company should pay.
The other reason that you will need to file an Uber or Lyft accident lawsuit is when the insurance company will not offer you enough money in a settlement agreement. Any type of claim will launch a negotiation process for you to settle your claim.
The insurance company may have their own opinion, but they do not get to unilaterally determine the value of your case. They have the ability to make an offer to settle the case.
You will consider the offer in consultation with your Uber or Lyft accident attorney. You may reject the settlement offer and counter with your own figures for the insurance company to consider.
You need to give up your legal right to future compensation from the insurance company in exchange for a settlement check because you sign a release as part of the agreement.
There may be times when you are simply too far apart from the insurance company to reach an agreement on how much money you should receive. They may have a completely different view of your injuries or think they are worth much less than you claim. Then, you may be left with no choice but to file a lawsuit.
Here, your lawsuit will have to be against the individual driver (since they are not an employee of the rideshare company), and the insurance company will provide them with a defense attorney.
Even still, there is a high likelihood that your lawsuit will end in a settlement since very few personal injury cases will ever go to trial.
Insurance Companies May Make Your Claim More Difficult
Insuring companies like Uber or Lyft is big business for insurance companies. The rideshare companies spread their business around between several of the largest car insurance companies, as well as one company that exists solely to ensure companies like Uber or Lyft.
These companies have every financial incentive to play hardball with you when you are filing a claim. After all, you are seeking their money, and they do not want to pay it to you.
These insurance companies may only respond when they see that a rideshare accident lawyer represents you. Even then, they may make you fight for every dollar that you get.
Threatening to file a lawsuit and even taking your case to court may be weapons in your rideshare accident attorney’s arsenal that they can use against the insurance company. This may be necessary to get you all the money that you deserve.
If you have suffered an injury in a rideshare accident you should always contact a reputable personal injury law firm in Mclean, VA for best results.