Pasadena, MD Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer

Since their inception, rideshare companies such as Uber, Lyft, and others have taken over classic yellow taxi cabs as the primary method of ad-hoc motor vehicle transportation for most people. They offer an extremely convenient way to get from one place to another after a night out on the town or just during the day. Unfortunately, rideshare drivers get into car crashes just like regular, everyday drivers, and people injured in accidents involving rideshare vehicles may be wondering what exactly they can do after the fact.

If you were hurt in a rideshare crash near Pasadena, we can help. Our attorneys have represented countless plaintiffs injured in motor vehicle accidents of all sorts, so we have the experience, drive, and professionalism to effectively handle your Uber or Lyft accident claim.

Let our Uber and Lyft accident attorneys review your claim for free when you contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras by dialing (410) 694-7291.

How You Can Get Coverage After a Rideshare Accident in Pasadena, MD

There is an extremely high likelihood that you are going to need financial compensation in some form after you are injured in an Uber accident. While most people might have their minds go straight to filing a lawsuit in court, there are other steps that you can take beforehand, which may be both faster and more effective at getting you the compensation you need. After all, the important thing is that you have coverage for your injuries. It does not particularly matter if you get that coverage through a lawsuit or a negotiation process. However, you always have the right to pursue justice for yourself in a court of law, and our Uber and Lyft accident attorneys are more than ready to assist you in that endeavor.

Insurance Coverage

The first thing you and our lawyers should be looking at when trying to get compensation for injuries you sustained in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver is to obtain coverage from an insurance provider. Insurance schemes surrounding rideshare accidents can be complicated, so it is useful to go through the possible avenues you may take to get coverage.

Uber/Lyft’s Policies

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have different policies that may apply to your situation. Both Uber and Lyft have $1 million in contingent collision coverage that applies if an accident takes place and the rideshare driver has a passenger in their vehicle or is on their way to pick someone up. Both companies also offer $50,000 in coverage if an accident happens when the driver is active in their company’s application but there is no passenger in the rideshare driver’s vehicle or they are not actively on their way to pick someone up.

While $50,000 or $1 million is certainly a lot of money, there are circumstances where that will not be enough to compensate you, or you need to look to other sources of coverage for other reasons.

Rideshare Driver’s Personal Insurance

If they are following the law, the driver working under Uber/Lyft will also have personal insurance which can provide coverage in the event of an accident. Rideshare drivers need a special kind of insurance called “rideshare insurance” or the more generic commercial driver’s insurance on their policy in order for coverage to apply. These policies only kick in when the driver is working for a rideshare company, not when they are off-duty or working for something else. For example, a pizza delivery driver may have commercial driver’s insurance in the event that they hit someone while delivering food. However, that coverage would not apply if they get in an accident on the way home after their shift.

Other Driver’s Coverage

Rideshare accidents also include those crashes where the Uber/Lyft driver is doing everything they are supposed to, but another negligent driver injures either them, their passenger, or both parties. In those cases, you should look to get coverage from the insurance of the negligent driver, not the Uber/Lyft driver’s insurance.

Suing Parties in Court

If the at-fault driver’s insurance does not want to provide coverage – or indeed, if the at-fault driver does not have insurance in the first place – you will need to file a lawsuit in order to get the coverage you need. When you file your claim, you will likely want to sue multiple parties instead of just one in order to maximize your chances of being successful. For example, you will likely want to include the driver who hit you and their insurance company in your lawsuit.

It is important, though, to abstain from including frivolous parties in your lawsuit. Importantly, even if the driver of the rideshare vehicle is the one who hit you, you should not include Uber, Lyft, or a different rideshare company in your claim. Under the law, employers are liable for the negligent acts of their employees, but rideshare drivers are contractors, not employees, so liability does not attach from the driver to Uber or Lyft.

Damages in a Pasadena, MD Uber and Lyft Accident Lawsuit

If you are successful in court, you will get damages awarded to you. Damages are how the legal systems tries to “undo” harm done after an injury – mostly in the form of financial compensation.

While you certainly can get damages for medical bills and related expenses, you can also ask for compensation for less tangible things like pain, mental distress, and lost enjoyment of life. In some cases, you can even get “punitive damages” if the defendant acted with malice instead of mere negligence.

The damages you request are entirely dependent on your circumstances, so you should discuss that important matter with our attorneys.

Talk to Our Pasadena, MD Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers Now

The Uber and Lyft accident attorneys with Rice, Murtha & Psoras can be reached at (410) 694-7291 to provide free case reviews.