If you have recently been involved in an Uber accident, a rideshare accident lawyer in Lawrenceville can help. Find out more about how a lawyer can help you recover after an accident and what you need to do to get started.
Proving Responsibility for Uber Accidents
Typically, a driver is responsible for an Uber accident, but it’s important to know which driver is responsible. In some situations, your Uber driver may have caused the crash, while in other cases, the other driver involved in the crash may be responsible. There are a few other people who could be responsible for the accident, though these are less likely:
- Pedestrians
- The car manufacturer
- The Uber company
- The company that maintains the roads
Whenever you are involved in an Uber accident, it’s crucial that you seek legal guidance as soon as possible for expert help in determining who was responsible for the crash and what you can do about it. Sometimes, a responsible party is hard to pin down, and you may need special legal tools to figure out what exactly happened.
Uber accident lawyers in Lawrenceville are skilled at gathering evidence from the police, witnesses, and other relevant parties to help narrow down what happened. A good lawyer will ensure that you don’t miss any relevant evidence.
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How Lawyers Can Prove Uber Drivers Are Responsible for Accidents
As reported in the National Library of Medicine, one of Uber’s primary goals as a ridesharing service is to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes on the roads by providing drunk people with a ride. However, Uber drivers are not immune to accidents occurring for various other causes. The most common causes of Uber accidents include:
- Speeding. If Uber drivers are concerned with getting their passengers to a specified destination on time or if other drivers on the road are in a hurry, they may be inclined to speed.
- Distracted driving. Uber drivers are supposed to provide secure driving for passengers, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t make mistakes. Uber drivers, like all drivers, are humans who could get distracted by any number of things (personal issues, incoming texts, outside distractions) and cause a crash.
- Fatigued driving. It’s not uncommon for Uber drivers to use Uber as a method of secondary income. While Uber itself sets restrictions on the hours a driver can work (no more than 12 hours without at least 6 hours of a break in between), nothing can stop a driver from coming straight from a day job to work an Uber shift.
Your Uber accident attorney in Lawrenceville can help you prosecute the at-fault driver in your accident by gathering evidence as to how the accident happened and using that to file an appropriate complaint. With that complaint, they can show that you deserve compensation for the damages you suffered after an accident caused by someone else’s careless driving.
What do You Do After an Uber Accident?
After an Uber accident, it’s crucial that you call 9-1-1 right away. You want an ambulance and the police to attend the accident scene and help you make sure everything is okay. Here are the basic steps to follow right after an Uber accident:
- Call an ambulance. Sometimes, you may not notice your injuries immediately after an accident, which is why it’s crucial to seek medical advice right away. For example, if you hit your head, you may not immediately notice signs of a concussion or whiplash, both of which commonly cause problems later on.
- Call the police. You will want them to fill out an official accident report that specifies who was at fault in the crash. It’s also helpful to have their record of contact information and witness statements if you end up pursuing a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.
- Take photos. As long as you are physically able to, take photos of the accident scene. You want pictures of injuries, damage to vehicles, and anything else that could be relevant to how the accident occurred (e.g., debris on the road, skid marks from one of the vehicles, etc.) so your lawyer can use them when filing a complaint on your behalf.
- Talk to witnesses. It’s essential that you get contact information from witnesses as your lawyers will definitely want to contact them for statements. You may also want to ask them to write statements for you then and there while the scene is fresh in their memories.
- Take notes. Write down what you saw and felt during the accident to make sure you don’t forget any relevant details.
- Call an Uber accident lawyer. As soon as you can, call an Uber accident lawyer who can help you gather evidence and file a claim against the at-fault driver to get compensation for your injuries and losses.
How do I File a Claim After an Uber Accident in Lawrenceville?
While Uber offers insurance to its drivers, coverage only applies in specific situations. Uber’s insurance could cover:
- Third-party liability insurance (for those not in the Uber vehicle) of $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident
- $1,000,000 in liability insurance to a third party with limited collision and comprehensive coverage for the Uber vehicle and passengers
All Uber drivers are supposed to carry their own insurance as well to pay for damage to their vehicle and to their own person. Because Uber is not technically responsible for you, as the rider in an Uber vehicle, they may or may not offer coverage to pay for your injuries and losses after an accident. Whether they do so will ultimately depend on whether the driver of your Uber had insurance and whether they were responsible.
If a third party was responsible for the accident, they should have insurance to cover your injuries. The state of Georgia requires that all drivers have a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident in bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 per incident in property damage coverage. If a driver does not carry this insurance, Uber does offer uninsured/underinsured coverage for you and your Uber driver.
Call a Lawrenceville Uber Accident Attorney Today
Ultimately, filing a claim against an Uber driver or a third-party driver after an Uber accident is confusing. If you’re not sure how to get started, a Lawrenceville Uber accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates can help. Our Uber accident lawyers are trained to understand what insurance coverage can apply in each situation and how you can claim the right coverage after your crash.
If you’ve been in a Lawrenceville Uber accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to John Foy & Associates for a free consultation. We will do everything we can to help you get compensation for your injuries and get back on your feet as soon as possible.
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