Is The Driver Or Uber Responsible In A Rideshare Accident?

Severe car crash at night in the city close up concept

Passengers injured in a Connecticut car accident are entitled to compensation. But if you were injured as a passenger while using a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft, recovering compensation after a car accident claim can be more difficult.

Like all drivers, drivers for rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber are required to carry insurance. But in addition to the driver’s insurance, the rideshare company has additional commercial insurance coverage that might be available to pay for your claim.

Recovering Financial Compensation After a Rideshare Accident

As an injured passenger, it is improbable that you caused the accident. You can seek compensation from the driver of the car you were riding in, the driver of the vehicle that struck you, or both. But when the car you were riding in was operated by someone driving for a rideshare company, you might be entitled to compensation from the rideshare company, too.

As long as the driver was “on the clock” and using the app for a paying fare, you can access coverage through the rideshare company’s commercial insurance coverage.

However, people injured in a rideshare accident often find that they have to fight hard to recover the compensation they are owed and that fighting for compensation from a commercial insurance carrier adds a layer of complexity to their claim.

What To Do If You Were Hurt in a Rideshare Accident

If you were hurt in an Uber car accident or an accident involving a Lyft driver, you must document the claim, just as you would in any other car accident.

  • Check yourself for injuries.
  • Exchange information with the other parties, police officers, and witnesses.
  • Take photos of the vehicles involved in the accident, the accident scene, and the surrounding area.
  • Seek medical attention.
  • Contact an experienced Connecticut personal injury attorney.

Who Is Responsible After a Rideshare Accident?

Determining which insurance company will compensate you for injuries suffered in a rideshare accident can be complicated.

Resolving a rideshare accident injury claim often involves three insurance companies: the rideshare driver’s insurance policy, the other driver’s insurance policy, and the commercial insurance policy for the rideshare company.

If the driver of the other car was responsible for causing the accident, their insurance company will be responsible for paying your claim. But car accident claims are rarely so clear-cut. If there is any question about who was at fault for causing the accident, you should hire an attorney to help you navigate the various insurance policies that could apply and ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for your injuries.

When rideshare drivers are “off the clock,” they are covered by their personal automobile insurance policy. But once they are on their way to pick up a passenger, the rideshare company’s insurance policy will apply.

Even if the rideshare driver was responsible for causing the accident, their insurance company might deny the claim because they were using their vehicle for a business purpose. In this case, you would need to fight with the driver’s insurance company to extend coverage. You could also seek compensation directly from the rideshare company’s insurance carrier.

Uber and Lyft carry additional insurance policies that offer up to $1 million in liability and $1 million in Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist coverage. But to recover full and fair compensation for your injuries, you need an experienced Uber accident attorney who understands the complex insurance policies that apply and can work through the various denials of coverage to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Proving Liability in a Rideshare Accident

If there is a silver lining to being involved in a rideshare accident, it is that rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft will have additional information that your attorney can use to prove liability. For example, rideshare companies have GPS, cellular, and other electronic data that can be used to establish the identity of the passenger and that you were, in fact, in the vehicle at the time of the accident. It can also be used to show where the driver was located when the accident occurred.

In some circumstances, rideshare data can be used to show whether the driver was distracted at the time of the collision. The ridesharing software will show if the driver was using the app or texting at the time of the crash, and GPS information can be used to prove that the driver was speeding when the crash occurred.

Finally, rideshare companies will have information about the driver they obtained in a pre-employment background check. This information can include driving histories, information about prior accidents, insurance information, and the make, model, and condition of the vehicle.

To ensure that you have access to this information, your attorney should send notice to the rideshare company requesting that they preserve any evidence.

Contact The Lebedevitch Law Firm After a Rideshare Accident

If you were hurt and have questions about how to sue Uber for an accident, The Lebedevitch Law Firm can help. An experienced Connecticut Uber accident attorney, Stephen Lebedevitch will act quickly to preserve evidence that can help prove your claim and give you the best chance of recovering full compensation for your injuries.

Connecticut personal injury attorney Stephen Lebedevitch has extensive experience representing people who have been hurt in car accidents. Based in Fairfield, Connecticut, The Lebedevitch Law Firm proudly represents people in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Darien, Rowayton, Fairfield, Trumbull, Westport, Wilton, Weston, Danbury, New Haven, Bethany, Woodbridge, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, and throughout the state.

We invite you to learn more about attorney Stephen Lebedevitch and why people choose us, read reviews from other people he has helped, and to contact The Lebedevitch Law Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your situation.