Pikesville, MD Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer
Many Pikesville residents rely on companies like Uber and their drivers to get where they need to go every day. These rideshare companies have largely supplanted taxi cabs as the go-to method of quickly getting to a destination without the need to personally drive there. Unfortunately, Uber or Lyft drivers are no less prone to getting into accidents than anyone else, and such accidents often leave victims badly injured.
Our attorneys are ready to help you out. We can examine the details of your case, form a strong legal argument, and negotiate with insurance companies, opposing counsel, and other adverse parties so that you get what you are owed after a serious accident.
For a free analysis of your situation, call the Uber & Lyft accident lawyers from Rice, Murtha & Psoras at the number (410) 694-7291.
The Right Party to Sue in an Uber & Lyft Accident Lawsuit in Pikesville, MD
If you are considering filing a lawsuit after an Uber or Lyft accident, it is important that you file it against the right parties. After all, filing against a party that had nothing to do with your claim is a surefire way to lose a case.
Counterintuitively, you do not want to sue Uber, Lyft, or whatever other rideshare company the driver involved in your accident was working for. The law only lets you sue employers for the conduct of employees. Rideshare drivers are not directly employed by those companies. Instead, rideshare drivers are independent contractors.
Before you sue, though, it may be a good idea to have our lawyers talk to the driver’s insurance provider. Rideshare drivers should have either commercial driver’s insurance or rideshare insurance that covers them in the case of a serious injury. You may even be able to get financial compensation from these companies without going to court. However, if the insurance provider is not cooperative, our lawyers can hold them accountable in court and get you the coverage you need.
Sometimes, drivers will not be insured even if they are supposed to be. You should not worry about whether you can get compensation in those cases, because you can still take the driver to court, and there are systems in place to ensure you get the coverage appropriate for your needs after an accident.
Damages You Can Get in a Pikesville, MD Uber & Lyft Accident Lawsuit
When you take someone to court to try and hold them accountable for your injuries, your real goal is to get damages awarded to you by the court. Awarding damages is the way that the legal system tries to “rewind” the events of the accident and put the plaintiff back where they were before they got injured. Of course, the severity of a plaintiff’s injuries may make this impossible in many cases, so financial compensation is awarded instead. You can get damages based on a lot of different items in a rideshare accident lawsuit, including:
Medical Bills
Probably at the forefront of your mind when seeking damages in a lawsuit is the cost of medical care. Luckily, you can ask for compensation based on medical expenses. This includes not just immediate emergency care but also long-term treatments and medical needs like physical therapy, medication, or full-time medical aides.
Property Damage
You can get damages based on things you own that were destroyed or damaged because of your accident. For example, if you were in your own car and it was totaled when an Uber driver crashed into it, you can be compensated for the cost of obtaining a new vehicle.
Lost Income
Another thing you can get damages for is lost income. This includes not just income you could have earned in the past but also lost opportunity to earn income in the future. So, if you had to step away from your job to recover from your injuries and were not earning any money, you can get damages based on that lost income. Additionally, if you need to switch careers to a less lucrative job because your injuries prevent you from working in your prior position, you can be financially compensated for the difference in pay. Finally, if your injuries are severe to the point that you are no longer able to work at all, you can be awarded damages stemming from the projected income for what would have been the remainder of your working career.
Physical Pain
Some of your damages will doubtless cover expenses incurred treating your injuries. However, you can also get damages based on the effects of those injuries themselves. This means that you could get damages based on surgery to repair a compound fracture, but also for the aches and pains you experience from that injury while recovering. Additionally, you can be awarded damages for long-term effects of injuries. For example, if your arms were badly hurt in the crash and you consequently have limited use of those limbs, that can factor into your damages.
Unlike a medical bill, there is no tangible thing that explains the price of physical pain. Therefore, you will have to work with our Uber & Lyft accident lawyers to convince the jury of the worth of these things in your case.
Mental Anguish and Emotional Distress
Not all injuries from car crashes are physical. Indeed, many victims of these accidents experience significant mental hardship as a result of their injuries. Many have post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses or experience similar symptoms without an official diagnosis. Courts understand this, and you will be able to be awarded damages based on those conditions and experiences. Like with damages for physical pain, you will have to prove that you are owed compensation for these things through evidence and legal arguments in court.
Call Our Pikesville, MD Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers and Discuss Your Claim Today
Let our Uber & Lyft accident lawyers from Rice, Murtha & Psoras assist you when you contact us at the number (410) 694-7291.