Blog Post

Ridesharing Car Accidents

A large percentage of Americans use ride-hailing apps, such as Uber and Lyft, to commute to and from work, get to and from the airport, and get around the city. According to the latest available data by Pew Research Center, at least 36 percent of Americans say they have used a ride-hailing app. However, the ever-increasing popularity of ride-hailing apps has led to a dramatic increase in ridesharing car accidents in Arizona and across the United States. If you were involved in a ridesharing accident, consider speaking with the experienced car accident attorney at Chuck Franklin Law to discuss your options for compensation. Call (480) 545-0700 to connect directly with Attorney Chuck Franklin and schedule a free consultation.

Causes of Ridesharing Car Accidents

Car accidents involving ridesharing vehicles, including Uber and Lyft, occur for a variety of reasons. Determining what caused the accident and who can be held responsible will impact the outcome of your personal injury case. Some of the most common causes of crashes involving ridesharing vehicles include:

• Distracted driving.
• Speeding.
• Failure to yield the right of way.
• Unsafe lane changes.
• Running red lights.
• Reckless driving.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a ridesharing car accident, consider contacting a personal injury attorney to learn more about your options for compensation.

How To Prove Negligence in a Rideshare Car Accident

Whether you are a passenger riding in a ridesharing vehicle or the driver of another car that collided with an Uber, Lyft, or other vehicle driven by a ride-hailing operator, your ability to obtain compensation for your damages depends on whose negligence caused the collision. You must establish the following three elements to prove negligence in rideshare car accidents:

• The other party owed you a duty of care (e.g., a duty to operate a vehicle carefully).
• The party breached the duty of care (e.g., by failing to drive carefully).
• You suffered injuries and damages because of the breach.

Consider contacting a skilled lawyer to help you investigate your rideshare car accident and gather all available evidence to prove the other party’s negligence. Get a case review at Chuck Franklin Law to plan an investigation to support your claim with evidence.

Will Uber or Lyft Compensate You for Your Rideshare Car Accident?

While both Uber and Lyft have liability coverage to compensate their drivers and victims of rideshare car accidents, that coverage is not always available to injured parties. The availability of insurance coverage depends on when the accident occurred:

• Period 0—The rideshare driver was not logged in to the ride-hailing app when the crash occurred. In this case, neither Uber nor Lyft will provide insurance coverage.
• Period 1—The driver was logged in to the app but had not accepted any ride requests yet. If a collision occurs during this period, Uber and Lyft will provide liability coverage if the rideshare driver is at fault. The coverage includes $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per accident, and only $25,000 for property damage.
• Period 2—The driver has accepted a ride and is on his way to pick up the passenger. If a crash occurs during this period, Uber and Lyft pay $1 million in liability coverage.
• Period 3—The passenger is in the rideshare vehicle and on his/her way to the destination. If a rideshare car accident occurs during this period, the ride-hailing company will provide liability coverage of up to $1 million. There is also limited coverage for damages to the driver’s vehicle.

Damages Available in Ridesharing Car Accidents

As with any other personal injury claim arising from a car accident, a victim of a ridesharing car crash may be able to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages if they can prove that the other party involved in the accident was negligent. Recoverable damages in ridesharing car accidents include:

• Medical bills.
• Loss of income.
• Property damage (e.g., the cost of repairing a damaged vehicle).
• Diminished earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering.
• Emotional trauma.

In some cases, a rideshare accident victim may also pursue punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for outrageous conduct.

What To Do If Your Rideshare Driver Is Involved in an Accident

If you are involved in a car accident while riding inside a rideshare vehicle, you will need to take the following steps to protect your right to compensation:

• Seek medical attention. Receiving medical care right away is important to document and determine the extent of your injuries. Failing to see a doctor immediately after the accident could jeopardize your claim.
• Call 911. If anyone is injured, request an ambulance. Contact the police to come to the scene and prepare an accident report.
• Document the scene of the rideshare crash. Take photos of the accident scene, talk to witnesses, and write down everyone’s contact information.
• Report the crash to the rideshare company. If you were involved in a car crash while riding inside Uber or Lyft, you need to notify the rideshare company. This can be done through the app.
• Notify your insurance company. If you have an insurance policy, you will need to report the rideshare accident to your insurance company.
• Consider speaking with an attorney. You might want to seek legal counsel following your rideshare car accident for help in investigating the crash, collecting evidence, and proving liability in your case.

If you suffered injuries in a rideshare car accident in Arizona, pay close attention to the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in the state. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-542, the time limit to file a personal injury lawsuit in Arizona is two years from the date of the injury.

Consult with a Ridesharing Car Accident Attorney

Accidents involving Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing services can be more complicated than regular crashes involving other vehicles. Therefore, you might want to discuss your case with an attorney who has experience handling personal injury cases that involve rideshare vehicles. The knowledgeable attorney at Chuck Franklin Law has decades of experience representing victims of motor vehicle accidents, including ridesharing car accidents, throughout Arizona. Connect directly with Attorney Chuck Franklin for a free case evaluation by calling (480) 545-0700.