Uber drivers deal with a lot of distractions that can make them prone to reckless and careless driving. They often stare at their phones to read alerts from Uber, Uber customers, and navigation apps. They may also feel rushed to speed or drive aggressively to get to a destination on time. These are all reasons why Uber accidents are fairly common along Los Angeles freeways and boulevards.
Can You Sue Uber if Your Driver Crashes?
Yes, under some situations you can sue uber and file a claim against Uber if the driver crashes and you are injured. Uber carries a $1 million dollar insurance policy that’s available when car accidents injure a passenger. There’s also protection available if an uninsured driver hits the Uber car you’re in and you are injured.
If you’re in the backseat, you are still at risk for serious personal injury in an Uber accident. In fact, accident victims in backseats can suffer more severe injuries than Uber drivers.
Airbags generally aren’t installed in backseats. Victims can take a full impact from the passenger door, the front seat, or the roof without any cushion. Seatbelts in backseats also aren’t usually as advanced as the seatbelts provided to those in the front seat. Occupants in the backseat are particularly vulnerable to rear-end accidents.
Uber Insurance Support Available After a Southern California Accident
In the backseat of an Uber car, you could have a clear view of an accident as it happens. After you’ve been injured in an accident, you will be questioned by investigating officers. You may also find yourself in an ambulance on the way to the hospital with an Uber accident injury.
Once your injuries are stabilized, it’s only natural to wonder about the enormous medical bills that are building up. How will you pay these expenses and your normal monthly bills while you are down with a personal injury and out of work? You can try to start a GoFundMe, but you may be unable to raise the amount you need.
The good news is that Uber carries $1 million in liability insurance. The bad news is that their corporate lawyers have Uber well-insulated from car accident claims.
When the Uber Driver Is to Blame
All Uber drivers are required to purchase their own car insurance. However, in most accidents in Southern California, you’ll be able to file an insurance claim against Uber directly in case you don’t want to sue an Uber driver.
Here’s a look at how a Uber accident case involving an Uber driver might play out:
Filing A Claim Against The Uber Driver
This claim is often quickly rejected because many insurers won’t cover accidents that happen while their policyholders are on the clock for Uber. Even if you’re injured in an accident when the Uber driver’s insurance is eligible, it’s still likely the personal insurance coverage will have low personal insurance policy limits.
This means you will only earn so much in an injury claim if you sue an uber driver. You may still have bills left unpaid after earning a settlement check. If your case is rejected when you sue Uber or the initial Uber's insurance policy limits are exhausted after you sue an uber driver, you could still bring a claim against Uber’s insurance.
Filing A Claim Against Uber
When you are riding in an Uber car and are injured, Uber’s insurance provider can award up to a million dollars to victims. Your award would depend on the severity of your injuries and your other economic and emotional hardships experienced in recovery after your car accident case. Uber passengers must be cautious during this process.
As an Uber passenger, you are pretty much helpless when your Uber driver causes an accident or when another driver crashes into the Uber vehicle. No matter who is to blame, you are the innocent victim, and you deserve full injury support as you heal. The responsible driver’s auto insurance is responsible for paying for your recovery. Unfortunately, an at-fault driver’s policy can come up short when held against your stack of medical bills.
In the Los Angeles area, there’s also a chance that your case could involve an uninsured Uber driver. Over the past several years, the rate of uninsured Uber drivers has skyrocketed. There was a car crash where a Los Angeles Uber driver was killed by a DUI driver while the passenger inside the Uber ride was injured. Another example of this is when a BMW slammed against a Prius Uber driver.
Thankfully, California Vehicle Code Section 5430 protects Uber passengers in car accidents involving uninsured motorists. The changes in the law mean that Uber also must carry $1 million in uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance coverage.
If another driver’s insurance coverage isn’t sufficient for the victim’s recovery costs, Uber riders can file a lawsuit against Uber’s $1 million policy. Victims may also call upon Uber liability coverage if the Uber driver is found to have no insurance company. Uber drivers also enjoy this uninsured motorist protection from Uber.
Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer After a Los Angeles Uber Accident?
Uber’s level of coverage is impressive, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see automatic compensation for your injuries. Uber’s lawyers and insurance company adjusters may work to reduce the support you receive as much as possible. They may question whether your injury is a pre-existing condition.
Uber or the driver's insurance company may also ignore your personal injury claim as long as possible. As you wait without any confirmation, their insurance representatives hope you get desperate as your bills accumulate. When you are at your wit’s end, they like to then extend a “lowball offer” hoping you’ll be worried enough to accept anything.
What Kinds of Things Can Earn Compensation in an Uber Accident Settlement?
When you sue Uber or file a personal injury lawsuit, it’s critical to make sure every hardship the victim has endured is listed. If a victim forgets to add something to their settlement claim, they cannot go back and ask for it after the fact.
Wrongful death damages for applicable family members
Uber Security Measures for Passengers in an Accident
Uber wants to keep passengers as safe as possible. The Uber App contains several safety features to protect riders and drivers from unsafe situations.
The Uber app offers an “emergency 911 button.” To reach it, just tap the little blue shield icon on your screen to open up the safety tool kit. Select the “911 assistance” button. Then on the next screen swipe to call 911. In some areas, the app even alerts operators to your location.
The safety tool kit also features an option to send vehicle information to loved ones so they may follow your ride progress on their phones.
Uber accidents
Contact a Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyer as Soon as Possible
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a delivery company like Doordash or Uber, you should talk to an experienced Southern California Uber Attorney. At Steers & Associates, each personal injury lawyer in our law firm has extensive experience standing up to giant companies like Uber and making sure injured passengers aren’t forgotten. You didn’t cause your accident, and through our attorney-client relationship, our law firm will seek that you receive total compensation for your physical and emotional pain.
Allen Vaysberg
Allen Vaysberg practices personal injury law and works tirelessly to defeat the tactics of insurance companies and large corporations who try to deny justice and fair compensation to injured people.
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