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Phoenix Uber And Lyft Accident Attorney

Phoenix Rideshare accident lawyer

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft make it easier for people to get around, but with millions of rides provided each day, car accidents are bound to happen. What to do after a collision may be confusing for injured rideshare passengers or drivers of the other vehicles involved. If you have been injured in a rideshare accident, contact our Phoenix rideshare accident lawyers.

If you suffered any type of sexual assault while using these services, we also have Phoenix Uber sexual assault lawyers that can help you through this difficult time. We can guide you through the claims process and help you obtain the compensation you need.

Why We Are Uniquely Qualified to Handle Your Case

  • We’ve recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, in both settlements and verdicts.
  • We have over 20 years of legal experience and are successful in 99% of our cases.
  • Our Phoenix car accident attorneys are always available for our clients, and only once we secure compensation for you do we get paid.

Common Rideshare Accident Injuries

Rideshare accidents can cause drivers, passengers, and bystanders to sustain serious and life-threatening injuries, such as:

  • Broken bones and fractures
  • Lacerations and bruises
  • Concussion
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Chest injury
  • Paralysis
  • Amputation
  • Wrongful death

Who is Liable in a Rideshare Accident?

A rideshare accident is different from a typical car accident, in that liability isn’t always clear. Normally, the at-fault driver is responsible for any damages. However, that can change depending on if they were considered to be working at the time they caused the accident. If so, their employer is liable.

Both Uber and Lyft require drivers to have their own personal insurance policy and will provide coverage themselves only under certain conditions:

Uber Insurance Coverage

Uber provides coverage for their drivers, as follows:

  • Uber App is Off: Only the driver’s private insurance will apply to the accident.
  • App is On and the Driver is “Available”: Uber’s contingent liability coverage applies, but only to the losses sustained by others who were injured or had their property damaged. This includes up to $100,000 for injuries ($50,000 per person) and $25,000 for property damage. The Uber or Lyft driver must access their personal policy for their own injuries or vehicle damage.

Driver Has Accepted a Ride or Until Passenger is Dropped Off: Uber’s commercial insurance coverage applies, which includes up to $1 million per accident for property damage and bodily injury, and another $1 million if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured.

Lyft Insurance Coverage

Lyft has very similar insurance policies to Uber, and they apply in the following scenarios:

  • Lyft App is Off: Only the driver’s private insurance will apply to the accident.
  • Lyft Driver is Waiting for a Match: Only the driver’s private insurance will apply to the accident, unless their insurance company refuses to cover it. In that situation, Lyft’s policy will apply, which provides $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
  • Driver Has Accepted a Trip or Until Passenger is Dropped Off: Lyft’s $1 million policy will apply to the collision.

If you are driving when involved in an accident with an Uber or Lyft driver who has a client in their vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation from both their personal auto insurance and the rideshare company. However, these cases can certainly be more complicated and challenging when it comes to liability since rideshare companies typically consider drivers to be independent contractors, rather than employees. Therefore, companies like Uber and Lyft may be quicker to deny responsibility in an injury claim.

The Insurance Complications of Rideshare Accidents

If you are inside of a rideshare vehicle and another driver caused the crash, then the case will likely be handled much like any other vehicle accident. The at-fault driver will be responsible for paying your expenses. However, accidents involving rideshare vehicles will have additional insurance complexities.

Rideshare services have different levels of insurance available depending on the situation. If the rideshare driver is not responsible for the crash, the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier will be primarily responsible for covering the expenses. However, both Uber and Lyft do have supplemental insurance policies that will be available in the event the claim is denied by the other insurance carrier or if the insurance limits are exhausted. 

If the rideshare driver was responsible for causing the crash, then Uber and Lyft have $1 million insurance policies that are supposed to kick in and cover every party involved. Sifting through this complex insurance process should be handled by a skilled attorney who has your back.

Below, we take a closer look at the insurance requirements and policies of both major rideshare companies.

Compensation Available in a Rideshare Accident 

There may be various types of compensation available to individuals injured in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle in Phoenix. Regardless of whether or not victims recover compensation through an insurance settlement or a personal injury lawsuit, they should be entitled to various types of economic and non-economic damages.

  • Economic damages. This refers to the types of compensation that are relatively calculable in the aftermath of an accident. By gathering bills and receipts that come in after the crash, a victim and their attorney can work properly to calculate the following:
    • Medical bills caused by the rideshare crash
    • Lost income if a victim cannot work while they recover 
    • General household out-of-pocket expenses
    • Property damage expenses
  • Non-economic damages. This refers to the types of compensation available after a crash that are more immeasurable than the economic damages mentioned above. We say immeasurable because there are no direct bills or receipts able to calculate a crash victim’s:
    • Physical pain and suffering damages
    • Emotional and psychological distress caused by the crash
    • Loss of quality of life damages
    • Loss of consortium damages for a spouse 

The total amount of compensation available to a rideshare accident victim in Phoenix and throughout Arizona will vary depending on the facts and circumstances related to each particular crash. The factors that influence the total compensation amount include the severity of the crash, total medical expenses, property damage losses, how long it takes for the victim to recover, and the level of the victim’s pain and suffering.

Steps to Take if Your Uber or Lyft Driver Gets in a Car Accident 

If you are riding inside of an Uber or Lyft vehicle that is involved in an accident, there are various steps that you can take maximum compensation:

  • Medical care. Seek medical care immediately following a rideshare accident. Even if you do not feel much pain, you need to make sure that you are evaluated by a doctor. The signs and symptoms of some injuries do not appear until hours or even days after the crash occurs. Delaying medical care could jeopardize your insurance claim.
  • Contact the police. The police need to come to the scene of any accident involving a rideshare vehicle. They will conduct an investigation and provide an accident report that will be used by the insurance carriers.
  • Notify the rideshare company. If you are using a rideshare company, there will be a way to notify the company of the accident through the app. You need to do so as soon as possible.
  • Contact your insurance carrier. You need to contact your personal automobile insurance carrier and let them know that the crash occurred. Tell them you were inside of a rideshare vehicle and give them the basic details about the crash.
  • Reach out to an attorney. You need to contact a skilled Arizona rideshare accident lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can step in and gather all of the evidence needed to prove liability. They will negotiate with the insurance carriers, and they will have no problem taking your case to trial if necessary.

Contact Our Phoenix Rideshare Accident Attorneys

Our personal injury attorneys in Phoenix have extensive experience representing clients who have been in ridesharing accidents in Arizona. Dealing with the aftermath of a collision can be scary, expensive, and time-consuming. Let us help you get through this situation as easily and painlessly as possible. We can start with a free case evaluation and help you decide which steps to take next, call (602) 726-0747 or reach us online today.