Passaic Uber Accident Lawyer

Uber doesn’t make it easy to assess your post-accident rights. Depending on your role in the accident, you may be covered by Uber’s insurance. If you don’t meet the company’s requirements, you may be left out to dry. 

Because New Jersey is a no-fault state, you have to know who to file a claim with before you can even think about pursuing legal action. That’s where an Uber accident lawyer in Passaic comes in. 

If you want to pursue compensation after an Uber accident, you can meet with the representatives at Morelli Law Firm. We’ll discuss your relationship to the collision and fight for the post-accident financial support you deserve.

How to Respond to a Passaic Uber Accident

In the aftermath of an Uber accident, you need to determine whether or not you want to take civil action against a liable party. You have a limited amount of time to pursue financial support through New Jersey’s courts, courtesy of the state’s statute of limitations. This statute, New Jersey Civil Statute §2A:14-2a, gives you two years to act on your losses.

In that two-year period, you need to talk with your insurer and see what kind of coverage you might receive. You can only pursue action in civil court after filing an insurance claim with your provider, as New Jersey is a no-fault state.

If you’ve determined that you want to act, a Passaic Uber accident attorney can help you through the process. In the two years you have, a legal team can talk to witnesses, calculate your financial support, and submit your complaint to an area court.

Breaking Down Uber Accident Liability

Before you file a legal complaint, you need to know what party you want to hold liable for your losses. In accidents involving ridesharing vehicles, liability is as much a question of responsibility as it is role.

For example, drivers on duty with Uber at the time of an accident are not liable for your accident. Instead, Uber takes responsibility for its on-duty drivers in civil cases. However, drivers who are off-duty do not benefit from this protection. Other parties that may be liable in an Uber accident can include:

• A third-party driver
• Construction crews
• Government bodies who failed to secure the roads
• Auto mechanics
• Automobile manufacturers

You can work with an Uber accident attorney in Passaic to determine liability in your Uber accident case. The sooner you know who you want to address in your complaint, the sooner you can fight for financial support.

Uber Accidents and Your Insurance

Uber’s insurance coverage varies from person to person. Because New Jersey requires you to submit a claim with an appropriate insurer, though, you need to understand who you’ll be filing with.

Insurance for Uber Drivers and Passengers

Uber’s insurance only covers on-duty drivers. This means that drivers must be with passengers, going to passengers, or using the Uber app at the time of their accident. So long as drivers fulfill these conditions, they’ll be entitled to Uber’s insurance coverage.

Drivers who fall outside of these requirements must turn to their own insurance for personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. This is the case whether or not the Uber driver is the victim or may be held liable for another driver’s losses.

Finally, passengers in an active Uber are always entitled to Uber’s insurance protection. These parties must file PIP claims with the ridesharer’s provider before pursuing civil claims. That said, passengers may file civil claims against either their Uber driver or another party. Our Uber accident lawyers in Passaic can help establish liability and thus a claim’s target.

Insurance for Unaffiliated Drivers

Uber’s insurance does not cover drivers unaffiliated with the company. This is the case whether the unaffiliated driver hit an Uber or an Uber hit an unaffiliated driver. Instead, unaffiliated drivers must rely on their own insurance to help them contend with post-accident losses.

Drivers without insurance or who are severely injured are exceptions to New Jersey’s no-fault expectations. If a driver fulfills either of these conditions, that driver can start working with a personal injury lawyer as soon as they like. 

New Jersey’s two-year deadline is strict. However, the state honors all complaints submitted within that time block. So long as these complaints are comprehensive, they can carry forward without interference from an insurance provider. 

Requesting Compensation for an Uber Accident

Everyone’s losses after an Uber accident differ. That said, it doesn’t have to be difficult to determine what damages to sue for after an accident. While you can reference previous cases to estimate your potential financial support, it’s best to calculate your estimated care on your own. 

Our Passaic Uber accident lawyers can help with this process. The team at Morelli Law can break down your losses and apply dollar values to those damages without immediately-calculable value.

Economic Versus Non-Economic Expenses

Your potential compensation can be broken down into two categories. Your economic compensation is compensation you may receive for physical losses. Non-economic compensation represents financial support in the face of emotional losses or personal devastation.

For example, your damaged property and medical bills constitute economic damages. These losses have dollar values that can be readily added together. Comparatively, a concept like “suffering” doesn’t have economic value. You can still be compensated for suffering, though, along with pain and loss of companionship.

If you’re not sure what your post-Uber accident losses look like, speak with a lawyer. Our team will make sure you’ve included all your potential damages in your initial complaint.

Punitive Damages and Your Accident

You can’t request punitive damages in your initial complaint. Instead, a judge can choose to apply punitive damages to your case. These damages are designed to discourage the behavior you experienced. Judges most often apply these damages to cases that involve gross negligence or a reckless disregard for someone’s well-being.

Let Morelli Law Firm Help You Recover From an Uber Accident

If you have questions about your legal rights after an Uber accident, don’t wait to ask. Our Passaic Uber accident attorneys at the Morelli Law Firm can help you find your way to effective financial support. You can schedule a free consultation with the representatives in our office as soon as you’d like to take action.

For more information about Uber compensation or representation in court, call or submit questions via our website.