Uber & Lyft Accident Attorney in Sherman Oaks, CA
Ride-sharing services have changed the way we get around in California, and while there have been many advantages and benefits to these services, there are additional risks and complicated legal issues that come with accidents or injuries relating to them. If you have been involved in a car accident with an on-duty Uber or Lyft driver, or if you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft that was involved in an accident, you will benefit from the support of a personal injury attorney significantly.
Uber and Lyft have experienced legal teams specifically retained to focus on costs associated with accident claims and settlements involving their drivers, and in cases where the accident and damages are significant, their insurance companies will do everything possible to limit the amount of money that they payout for a claim.
In order to give yourself the best chance possible of getting the money that you rightfully deserve after an accident involving one of these companies, contact us now to schedule an initial consultation with our team. You will be able to speak directly with a legal professional who is experienced with ride-sharing accidents and their insurance claims process and can discuss your options with you about the next steps to take, how to get the money you deserve, and what you can expect as you go through a claim.
Read more below to learn about some basic information pertaining to Uber and Lyft accidents in Sherman Oaks, and contact us now to get started on your own case as soon as possible.
Who Pays My Damages After an Accident With an Uber or Lyft Driver?
Because of the nature of on-demand ride services and the working relationships they have with their contractors (drivers are not employees of these companies), there are a lot of different details that need to be determined in order to figure out who is responsible for your claim, and which insurance company to direct them to.
Accident As an Uber or Lyft Passenger
If you are a passenger in a ride-share and are involved in an accident, it is most likely that you will be covered by the ride-share companies commercial insurance company. Uber and Lyft typically have coverage of up to $1 million for injuries that passengers sustain while riding with their service. In some instances, the ride-share driver may have their own commercial insurance policy, in which case you may be required to file your claim with their commercial insurance instead of with Uber or Lyft. The specifics of these cases depend on a lot of different details, so you will need to understand the right steps to take before you initiate a claim.
Accident With an On-Duty Uber or Lyft Driver
If you are in an accident with an Uber or Lyft driver who is in the middle of a trip or en-route to pick up an assigned fare, then they are entirely covered by their ride-share partner’s commercial insurance policy. This means that you will file your insurance claim with Uber or Lyft’s commercial insurance company and can expect that the entire claim will be handled by them without needing to work with the driver’s insurance company at all.
In fact, it is very likely that the driver’s personal insurance policy has a clause which states that they will not cover damages resulting from an accident while the driver is engaging in any type of ride-sharing service. However, as mentioned in the section about being in an accident as a ride-share passenger, in some instances a driver may have their own commercial insurance policy. In this case, you may ultimately file your claim through this policy instead of the Lyft or Uber policy. The specifics depend on a lot of different factors that will become clear.
Accident With an Off-Duty Uber or Lyft Driver
If you are in an accident with someone who driver for Uber or Lyft, but they are not actively using the app to find a fare, or traveling to pick up a fare, then you will file your claim with their personal insurance company since they technically are not performing any Uber- or Lyft-related activities.
If you are in an accident with a driver who has the Lyft or Uber app on and is in the process of looking for a fare, then your claims process may be slightly complicated since each company’s policy states that in these instances, they will cover a portion of a claim. You will likely be required to file a claim with both Uber or Lyft, as well as the driver’s personal insurance company. Depending on the structure of their personal insurance policy, the insurance company may be difficult to work with given the “gray area” that the driver was in regarding whether or not they were “working” at the time of the accident.