Riverside Rideshare Accident Lawyers
Residents and tourists alike in Riverside, California, frequently rely on ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber to get them to and from various local destinations. Some individuals use these ridesharing services for work purposes, while others call Uber or Lyft to transport them home after late-night bar hopping or clubbing in the downtown area.
In any event, with the increased number of ridesharing vehicles on area roadways comes the possibility of serious accidents involving these vehicles. When a passenger suffers injuries in a ridesharing vehicle accident, they may need to go to the hospital and undergo additional medical treatment. They may also have to miss significant time from work to attend medical appointments and recover from their injuries.
Moreover, since case law and statutory law regarding ridesharing accidents remain unsettled, accident victims may be unsure where to turn or how to pursue the monetary compensation they need following a crash.
If you or someone you love recently suffered injuries in a ridesharing accident, you should obtain assistance from experienced legal counsel. The skilled Riverside rideshare accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP can review your ridesharing accident circumstances with you and determine your eligibility for filing a personal injury claim or a lawsuit.
In some instances, you can pursue a claim under the ridesharing company’s corporate policy, while at other times, you can file a claim under your Uber/Lyft driver’s insurance policy. If a third-party driver caused your accident, you can file a claim with their insurance company as well.
Our legal team can help you determine how best to proceed forward with your case and can help you recover the monetary damages you need for your crash-related injuries.
We have recovered millions of dollars for car accident victims, including passengers in ridesharing vehicles. Let us determine the appropriate insurance coverage in your case and help you pursue the monetary award you deserve.
Special note for other law firms: Our experienced legal team represents individuals who suffer severe and life-changing injuries. We are also ready to take on referral cases from other law firms, and we have the resources to handle your referral properly.
Why Do Rideshare Accidents Frequently Happen?
Ridesharing accidents frequently happen when drivers commit negligent and reckless acts. In some cases, the negligent driver may be the operator of your Uber or Lyft vehicle, while at other times, a different driver may cause or contribute to the crash.
Driver negligence can take various forms, typically involving a driver violating one or more California traffic laws. For example, a negligent driver might tailgate another vehicle, fail to use a turn signal, speed, drink, and drive, engage in road rage, or drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Of these varying types of negligence, drunk driving is the most likely to cause severe and permanent injuries. This is because drunk drivers are often inclined to speed and drive recklessly. They may also experience blurred vision and limited concentration, along with impaired reflexes and delayed reaction time. Consequently, a drunk driver may be unable to stop their vehicle before causing a crash.
If you suspect that the driver of your Uber or Lyft vehicle is intoxicated, you should immediately terminate the ride. In addition, you should report the driver on the appropriate company’s website.
If you sustained injuries in a rideshare accident that your driver or another driver caused, we can help you investigate the circumstances of your accident and file a claim under the appropriate insurance policy.
Common Injuries in a Riverside Rideshare Accident
Serious ridesharing accidents, like other car and truck crashes, can lead to debilitating injuries. Since every accident scenario is different, not all accident victims will sustain the exact same injuries in their crashes. Instead, injuries are very much dependent on the type of accident that occurs, the circumstances surrounding the accident, the number of vehicles involved, and the amount of force involved in the collision or collisions.
Potential injuries that ridesharing passengers might suffer in an accident include:
- Permanent soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Rib fractures
- Traumatic head and brain damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Full or partial paralysis
If you suffered any of these injuries in a ridesharing accident that resulted from a driver’s negligence, your first priority should be seeking the medical treatment that you need to get better. You can pursue this treatment at a hospital emergency room or urgent care facility, or you may need to follow up with your primary care doctor. In addition, you should seek experienced legal help as quickly as you can after your rideshare accident.
The knowledgeable Riverside rideshare accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP can explain your legal rights and options to you and help you determine the best way to recover the monetary compensation you deserve in your case. Depending upon the circumstances, we can bring a claim under the negligent driver’s insurance policy—or under a corporate policy.
Proving the Legal Elements of a Rideshare Accident Case
To recover monetary damages for your rideshare accident injuries, you should fully prove the legal elements of your claim or lawsuit. First, you must show that the driver who caused your accident committed one or more negligent acts. For example, the driver might have been intoxicated while they were behind the wheel or took their eyes off the road just before the accident happened. They might also have exercised one or more negligent driving maneuvers.
In addition, you must show that the responsible driver’s negligent actions or inactions caused your rideshare accident. Finally, you must establish that as a direct result of the accident, you suffered at least one physical injury or impairment.
No matter which insurance company you are dealing with, proving the legal elements of your case may be an extremely daunting task. In fact, most insurance companies make matters extremely difficult for accident victims and look for any excuse to limit monetary compensation following rideshare accidents. These insurance companies and their adjusters are only interested in their bottom line and have no interest in fairly compensating accident victims for their losses.
Since an insurance company is never on your side, you should retain skilled legal counsel to assist you with every step of your claim or lawsuit.
At Bentley & More LLP, we can help you prove the legal elements of your claim by retaining an expert, such as an accident reconstructionist or medical expert. Accident and reconstructionists are helpful with piecing together the cause of a rideshare accident and determining which driver or drivers were responsible. On the other hand, medical experts can help you establish that you suffered one or more permanent injuries in your crash and can causally relate those injuries to your rideshare accident.
Lyft Corporate Insurance Policy Coverage
Ridesharing companies like Lyft and Uber have corporate policies that come into play under various circumstances. When a Lyft driver does not have their app running when a motor vehicle accident occurs, then their own car insurance company will supply the necessary coverage. However, during this time, a Lyft passenger should not be present in the car.
However, in circumstances where the Lyft driver is running their app and is actively waiting for a patron, Lyft’s corporate coverage does come into play if and when an accident happens. At this point in time, the applicable coverage limits include $50,000 in bodily injury coverage for each individual in the vehicle and $100,000 in bodily injury coverage in the aggregate, such as when two or more passengers suffer injuries in the same accident. Finally, Lyft corporate provides $25,000 in coverage for vehicle property damage during this time.
In cases where accidents happen once the Lyft driver has retrieved their ride fare and is en route to their destination, Lyft coverage in the amount of $1 million applies. That policy coverage remains in effect until the passenger arrives at their destination.
In addition to providing liability coverage at the appropriate time, Lyft corporate also provides uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Again, this coverage remains in place while a Lyft driver transports their passenger to a destination.
Uber Corporate Insurance Coverage
As with Lyft, Uber corporate provides corporate coverage in certain situations. This coverage amounts to $1 million per car crash, along with $1 million in the aggregate, if multiple passengers suffered injuries in the same accident.
This Uber corporate coverage starts taking effect as soon as an Uber driver accepts a ride fare on their app—and agrees to retrieve a passenger at a particular location. The coverage then stays in effect until after the passenger arrives at their selected destination.
Like Lyft, Uber corporate also provides $1 million in uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
In cases where Uber accidents happen—but the driver does not have their phone app turned on (and they have not accepted a fare)—the policy limits of coverage are $50,000 per individual, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. However, in cases where an Uber driver causes a car crash, then their own motor vehicle policy of insurance comes into play and provides the appropriate compensation to injured accident victims.
Filing a Rideshare Accident Lawsuit on Time
Victims of rideshare accidents have a limited amount of time in which to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit for damages. That time begins to run on the date of the accident and expires precisely two years later, absent exceptional circumstances. When accident victims fail to take prompt legal action in their case, and the time clock runs, they will not be eligible to recover any monetary compensation for their accident-related injuries.
The experienced Riverside rideshare accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP will ensure that your lawsuit gets to the courthouse within the appointed time frame. After filing a lawsuit in your rideshare accident case, we can negotiate with the appropriate insurance company in pursuit of the maximum monetary damages you deserve for your injuries.
Potential Monetary Recovery in a Riverside Rideshare Accident Claim
Victims of severe rideshare accidents often suffer debilitating injuries that leave them incapacitated for a lengthy amount of time. In addition, accident victims may suffer permanent injuries that lead to ongoing pain and other symptoms. Additionally, some crash victims may need to undergo additional medical procedures, such as surgeries, or attend ongoing physical therapy or pain management sessions well into the future.
Rideshare accident victims who can prove the legal elements of their case may be eligible for various damages, depending upon the severity of their injuries, the cost of their medical treatment, their ability or inability to work, and the pain and suffering they experienced (or may likely experience into the future).
Some of the most common damages that accident victims may recover include compensation for their:
- Related medical expenses, both past and future
- Lost earnings
- Loss of earning capacity
- Mental distress
- Loss of use of a body part
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Permanent disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Loss of life enjoyment
Our legal team understands the severity of a rideshare accident victim’s injuries and other losses. We can help you maximize the monetary damages you recover through settlement or litigation so that you may become whole again as much as possible.
Talk to an Experienced Riverside Rideshare Accident Attorney Today
Greg Bentley & Keith More, Rideshare Accident Lawyers
If you suffered injuries in a Riverside rideshare accident, you should seek the legal help that you need right away. Waiting too long to retain a lawyer in your case can jeopardize your right to monetary recovery. Reach out to a Riverside personal injury lawyer.
At Bentley & More LLP, we can take the legal actions necessary to safeguard your right to full monetary recovery in your case. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly after your rideshare accident, we can file a lawsuit, litigate your case in the California court system, and obtain the best possible result on your behalf.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Riverside rideshare accident attorney, please call us at (949) 870-3800 or contact us online.
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Bentley & More LLP – Riverside Office
Phone: (949) 870-3800