Ridesharing services like Uber have become increasingly convenient over the past decade. With the increase in rideshare drivers on the road, however, the question of liability in the wake of car accidents has become more opaque. What happens if you’re in an accident with an Uber, after all, and who can you hold accountable for your losses?
There are times when Uber drivers and their parent company may try to shirk responsibility for your car accident losses. Don’t let Uber’s legalese keep you from the financial support you deserve. If you have questions about your right to compensation after an Uber accident, you can discuss actionable paths with a Morelli Law Firm Uber accident lawyer.
In This Article
- How Should You React to an Uber Accident?
- Can You Hold an Independent Driver Accountable for an Uber Accident?
- Can You Hold Uber, the Company, Responsible for Your Accident?
- How Can You Hold a Liable Party Responsible for a Rideshare Accident?
- What Are the Benefits of Bringing a Car Accident Claim Against Uber?
- Should You Accept an Uber Accident Settlement?
How Should You React to an Uber Accident?
What happens if you’re in an accident with an Uber depends on how you react to your accident. Unfortunately, contending with the immediate aftermath of a rideshare collision is more than stressful. The shock of your situation may make it difficult for you to determine how to protect yourself from unnecessary losses.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take after calling the police that can protect your well-being in the long run, though. These include:
- Calling your insurance provider within 24 hours of your accident
- Cooperating with medical professionals on and off the scene
- Contacting a Uber accident attorney
The sooner you have someone on the scene to represent your best interests, the smoother the following proceedings are likely to go.
Can You Hold an Independent Driver Accountable for an Uber Accident?
There are circumstances in which an independent driver may be held accountable for an Uber accident. Uber may choose to claim that its driver was off-duty at the time an accident occurred. Uber has the right to do this if the driver in question was waiting for passengers without using their app.
Similarly, drivers who work for Uber but use their vehicle for personal purposes can also be held independently responsible for their own losses. These drivers benefit from neither Uber’s legal protection nor Uber’s insurance in the face of an accident.
You can work with our Uber accident attorneys to determine whether or not the driver liable for your accident was on duty at the time of your collision. If the driver wasn’t, you can engage in negotiations with that individual as opposed to Uber as a whole.
Can You Hold Uber, the Company, Responsible for Your Accident?
If you’re asking yourself what happens if you’re in an accident with an Uber driver who is on duty, don’t worry. You can hold Uber, the company, liable for your car accident losses for accidents with on-duty drivers. You must name Uber as the liable party in your complaint and prepare to negotiate with their legal team, if you’d prefer to keep matters out of court.
Taking up a complaint against a corporation like Uber can have its benefits. In most cases, corporations have the means to contend with the breadth of your losses. This means you won’t have to worry about forcing your liable party into bankruptcy to cover your expenses.
However, Uber may try to negotiate or resist some of the expenses leveled against them. Fortunately, our team can fight back against Uber’s attempts to avoid paying out your losses. All the while, we can maintain civil conversations between all parties involved.
How Can You Hold a Liable Party Responsible for a Rideshare Accident?
The best way to hold either an independent driver or Uber liable for your roadway losses is to find evidence to back your claim. Evidence worth submitting alongside your complaint can include:
- Photos of your accident
- Proof of Uber app usage at the time of an accident
- Video of your accident
- Witness statements
- Expert witness testimony
Our attorneys can gather this evidence on your behalf. We can then analyze your evidence to draft a reasonable explanation for your accident and subsequent losses.
While we can elaborate on our understanding of this data throughout your initial complaint, our work doesn’t stop there. We can expand on our interpretations of accident data in court or throughout settlement negotiations.
What Are the Benefits of Bringing a Car Accident Claim Against Uber?
Car accidents are expensive to deal with under the best of circumstances. While your insurance provider can make your recovery easier, it may not be willing to help you with every bill that comes your way. This is where an Uber accident complaint comes in. Provided that you can prove the viability of your complaint, you can use one to request post-accident support.
What happens, then, if you’re in an accident with an Uber? Your claim can control how you interact with a liable party, be it the corporation or an individual. While you can negotiate for a settlement, you can also take your concerns before a judge. How you proceed is up to you and an attending attorney.
Should You Accept an Uber Accident Settlement?
Uber likes to avoid time in court, like any other corporation. With that in mind, the company may reach out to you before you have time to contact an Uber accident attorney. If you receive a settlement offer from Uber, it’s a good sign that the company knows that it’s at fault for your losses and wants to make amends out of court.
You don’t have to accept an Uber accident settlement out of hand, though. You can instead bring such an offer to the attention of an experienced attorney. Morelli Law Firm’s team can assess the overall value of a settlement offer and determine whether it addresses the breadth of your losses.
We can then negotiate for a more generous settlement, should Uber have overlooked certain losses. Alternatively, our rideshare accident attorneys can transition your negotiations into a trial, should Uber not want to acknowledge the full breadth of its fault.
Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You Address an Uber Accident
Contending with the aftermath of an Uber accident can be complicated, particularly when Uber’s legal team gets involved. You have a right to legal action, though – and Morelli Law Firm can help you embrace it. You can contact our team for more information about the different ways you can hold parties accountable for your Uber accident losses.
If you’re wondering what happens if you’re in an Uber accident, you can request a case evaluation through our website or over the phone today. Our Uber accident lawyers are prepared to help you fight for post-accident financial support.