Salisbury Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer

Accidents on the road happen every day, and accidents involving ridesharing vehicles and drivers are no exception. If you got hurt in such an accident, call a lawyer as soon as you can.

After an accident with Lyft or Uber, your attorney can help you determine who should cover the damages. The rideshare driver is often to blame for the accident, and we can investigate them for fault. In other cases, other drivers involved in the crash are responsible or at least share the fault, and they might pay. Lyft and Uber are often shielded from liability, but they might have insurance that covers you. We need evidence to help your case and show how the defendant is at fault. Evidence from the collision site or people with personal knowledge about the accident may be important. Accidents with Lyft and Uber vehicles may leave victims with numerous injuries and legal claims. It is crucial that you talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.

Call our Uber and Lyft accident lawyers of Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a confidential, free initial review of your claims with our dedicated professionals.

Who Pays for Damages After an Accident Involving Uber or Lyft in Salisbury?

Determining who should pay for your damages after an accident with a Lyft driver or Uber driver is sometimes challenging. More often than not, everyone involved in the accident wants to blame everyone else, and the person who truly is at fault refuses to admit anything. Our Lyft and Uber accident attorneys can help you determine who should be named in your case by assessing how your accident occurred.

The Rideshare Vehicle Driver

People driving for Uber or for Lyft are often in a hurry. The more passengers they pick up and drop off, the more money they can earn. As such, they tend to drive fast and a bit recklessly. As a result, many accidents involving these ridesharing services are caused by the drivers.

Another possibility is that the rideshare driver tried to drop you off somewhere unsafe. For example, suppose the driver pulled over to let you out at your destination, but they did not pull over on the shoulder, instead letting you out in the middle of a busy road. If you were hit by an oncoming car, the driver who dropped you off might be responsible for creating the dangerous conditions of the accident.

Another Driver

While we should definitely be looking at the person who drove the Uber or Lyft car involved in the crash, they are not the only drivers we must investigate. Other drivers and vehicles might have been part of the collision. These other drivers might be to blame instead of the ridesharing driver. Alternatively, they might share the blame, and both parties should be named in the case.

For example, you might have been in the backseat of an Uber when another vehicle T-boned you in the intersection. The accident may be entirely the fault of the other driver, not the Uber driver. It is also possible that both parties were somehow negligent, and both may be held liable.

Lyft or Uber

In these kinds of cases, one of the earliest questions plaintiffs have is about suing the company behind the ridesharing app. Ordinarily, suing an employer for the negligent and injurious actions of an employee is certainly possible. Under the theory of respondeat superior, employers may be vicariously liable if their employee, while in the course of normal job duties, negligently causes injuries. This is not so with Uber and Lyft in car accident cases.

The above legal theory only applies to employers and employees. Plaintiffs are sometimes surprised to learn that Uber and Lyft drivers are not considered employees of these companies. Instead, they are classified as independent contractors. As such, Uber and Lyft are shielded from vicarious liability.

Even so, this does not stop plaintiffs from trying to file claims against these companies. While your odds of success might not be great, many legal professionals believe that Uber and Lyft should be held accountable and that they abuse this loophole in the legal system by misclassifying drivers as contractors rather than employees.

Does Lyft or Uber Cover Any Damages After a Car Accident with a Rideshare Vehicle in Salisbury?

Insurance claims are a normal part of any auto accident case. When dealing with accidents involving Lyft or Uber, insurance becomes a bit more complex. Maryland is a fault-based state regarding auto insurance claims. This means that drivers typically file claims with the other driver’s insurance before providing some evidence that the other driver is at fault. When Uber or Lyft is involved, insurance might come from these companies in addition to the driver.

How much coverage you might get from insurance from Uber or Lyft depends on the accident. If the driver had their ridesharing app turned off, they are considered off duty. Insurance from Uber or Lyft would not cover the accident in such a case. If your driver turned off their app for whatever reason when the accident happened, speak to a lawyer right away.

If the driver’s app was activated, insurance coverage from Lyft or Uber may apply. However, there are different scenarios involved here where coverage might be different. Coverage is more limited if the driver is not matched with a rider. Insurance may pay for up to $100,000 in bodily harm for an entire accident or $50,000 per person and up to $25,000 for property damage. This might come up if you were in another car struck by a Lyft or Uber driver.

If the driver is on duty and paired with a passenger – the passenger might be in the car or waiting to be picked up – then much greater coverage may apply. Your crash might be covered up to $1 million.

Call Our Lyft and Uber Accident Attorneys for Help Now

Call our Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a confidential, free initial review of your claims with our experienced staff at Rice, Murtha & Psoras.