Fort Lauderdale Uber Accident Lawyer
Ridesharing has made life easier for some individuals. However, ridesharing doesn’t work out as well for everyone. When an Uber or Lyft vehicle is involved in a collision, the driver or passenger can experience serious injury. And the insurance companies might not be cooperative. If you want compensation for your injuries and missed wages, you should contact an Uber accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale.
Here at Friedland & Associates, we’ve helped accident victims take on the insurance companies. We may be able to get you money for damages.
What Makes Rideshare Accidents So Complex?
If you’re in a car accident, your insurance or the other driver’s insurance pays for the related expenses. Although this process isn’t always easy, it’s straightforward. For decades, the laws and policies have evolved to make car accident claims as simple as possible.
However, ridesharing is a new development. The laws regarding Uber accidents aren’t well developed or clear. If you want to receive compensation for your accident, you might need a personal injury lawyer to assist you.
The Laws Regarding Uber Accidents
Uber and Lyft are large companies with many resources. Therefore, they can afford to protect their drivers. They have high caps for injury liability coverage.
According to car accident laws, you could benefit from that coverage. If you are a passenger in the vehicle, you may be able to receive money for your injuries, missed work, and suffering. This is the case regardless of the driver’s level of fault, if any.
But a passenger of an Uber isn’t the only one with the potential for compensation. If another driver was injured and the Uber driver’s negligence caused the accident, they could seek compensation. In other cases, the Uber driver could seek compensation if someone else was at fault.
Getting that compensation could require assistance from a professional. Although rideshare companies have great insurance, the insurance company doesn’t want to pay out. They could fight a fair offer. With a lawyer, you can negotiate with the insurance company to receive a better payout.
The Reality of Uber Accidents
In 2017, there were 30 fatal accidents in Fort Lauderdale involving ridesharing services. Thousands of others resulted in injuries. If you’re on the road, you have a good chance of being involved in an accident.
This is true of rideshare drivers and their passengers. As Uber becomes more popular, the likelihood of Uber accidents increase. It’s important to prepare yourself for the possibility of an accident and to learn how to handle a rideshare collision.
What To Do
After your accident, you should seek medical attention. If you don’t have any obvious injuries, you should still see a doctor. There could be an underlying issue, and you need documentation of that injury.
You should also contact the police. Whether your accident is a fender-bender or a head-on collision, you need police presence. After they examine the scene of the accident, they create a police report. Your claim for compensation could depend on the contents of the police report.
Finally, you should contact an attorney. They can tell you more about the next steps. More importantly, they can take care of the work while you recover.
Handling Uber Insurance
If you are in an Uber accident but have no injuries, your insurance claim should be relatively easy to handle. The company’s insurance should cover all of your vehicle damage.
However, claims involving injuries are more complicated. An insurance adjuster will scrutinize every detail of the accident. Furthermore, they will analyze every medical bill and accident-related expense. It’s likely that they will make a low offer.
If you’re a driver, you may also have a problem with your insurance rates. The adjuster could try to place some of the blame on your shoulders, which would make your insurance rates rise. You may need to fight to prove your side of the story.
Recovering Damages
To recover damages, you might need to take action. Your lawyer can negotiate with Uber attorneys to get a fair payout.
Typically, you can receive money for all of your medical bills and vehicle damage. If you miss any time from work, you could receive compensation for missed wages.
How Rideshare Periods Impact Your Coverage
One of the most complex issues about rideshare accidents is the rideshare period. Each period offers different coverage options.
The First Period
While a driver waits for a ride request, they are in the first period. When this is the case, the drivers only have limited liability coverage. Uber drivers are contractors and not employees. As such, Uber does not need to provide them with coverage. They may need to rely on their own insurance to handle an accident in the first period.
The Second Period
This period starts when the driver heads towards a passenger. If an accident occurs in this period, Uber offers more coverage. In fact, they offer as much as $1 million in total liability coverage. They also offer full coverage of vehicle damages.
Proving your accident occurred in the second period could be challenging. If you don’t have enough evidence, the insurance company could claim you were in the first period. As a result, you would only have limited liability coverage.
To prevent this from happening, you should take a picture of your ride requests. You should also contact a rideshare attorney for more advice.
The Third Period
This period begins the moment a customer enters the vehicle. It ends when they leave the vehicle. If an accident happens during this period, the driver has total liability coverage.
Unlike second period accidents, third period accidents are easier to prove. Because the passenger is in the vehicle, you have a witness. There are at least two individuals to share their stories.
Working with an Uber Accident Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale
Often, victims of accidents experience serious injuries. Whatever your injuries may be, you deserve compensation. Regardless of who is at fault for the accident, insurance should cover your expenses. You may not need to pay out-of-pocket.
