Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have made getting around about as easy as it can be. You don’t have to worry about navigating through traffic, parking, or finding your destination, and it’s all at the tap of an app. Unfortunately, however, rideshare accidents are on the rise, and they are often quite serious. If you’ve been injured in a rideshare accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, a dedicated rideshare accident attorney in Doral can help defend your legal rights – in pursuit of the compensation to which you may be entitled.
Complicating Factors
There are a variety of factors related to all those rideshare drivers out there that make getting around on our roadways riskier, including:
- Rideshare drivers must enter and exit traffic frequently and must make more frequent stops, which are all closely associated with an increased risk of accidents.
- Rideshare drivers must interact with the rideshare app behind the wheel – while searching for passengers in their midst and while navigating through areas that they may not be familiar with. Any one of these can increase the chance that an accident will happen.
- Rideshare drivers make their living behind the wheel, but they are not professional drivers in the same sense that a truck driver or taxi driver is, and they are not held to the same careful safety standards.
- Rideshare drivers aren’t employed by the rideshare company for whom they drive. Instead, they are independent contractors who only get paid when they complete a fare. This can push rideshare drivers to drive outside the boundaries of safe hours-of-service guidelines, which can leave them more likely to drive drowsy.
Any one of these factors can contribute to dangerous rideshare accidents.
Rideshare Accidents and Insurance
Because the rideshare driver responsible for the accident that leaves you injured is not actually employed by the rideshare company, he or she is also not insured by the company in the way you might expect. In fact, these massive companies are exceptionally adept at minimizing their exposure to liability. Generally, if the at-fault rideshare driver has a passenger or is on the way to pick one up, the rideshare company’s insurance coverage is activated. If, on the other hand, the at-fault rideshare driver is on the app waiting for a passenger when the accident in question takes place, the rideshare company’s insurance coverage will likely only be activated at the point that the driver’s personal coverage is exhausted. If the at-fault rideshare driver has toggled off the app at the time of the accident, that driver’s own coverage is wholly responsible.
A Note about the Insurance Company
It’s important to take a moment to consider the insurance company involved (whether it’s the rideshare company’s coverage, the driver’s own policy, or a combination of the two). All insurance companies are in the business of generating revenue and bolstering profits, which universally translates to minimizing settlement offers. Be on the lookout for all of the following insurance tactics:
- Attempting to divert blame away from the at-fault rideshare driver and toward you
- Offering an early settlement offer before you have had time to assess the actual damages you’ve sustained
- Making the insurance process so obtuse and/or protracted that you give up in exasperation
- Casting doubt on the extent of the physical, financial, and emotional damages you’ve suffered
Protecting Your Claim
Your rideshare claim is unique to the situation at hand, but there are some basic steps you can take to protect your claim from the outset:
- Seek the medical attention you need and carefully follow your doctor’s instructions (this helps to ensure that you are able to regain your health and well-being).
- Consult with an experienced Doral rideshare accident attorney as soon as you are able to do so.
- Give social media a rest (the insurance company is looking for reasons to discredit your claim, and social media posts are especially easy to manipulate toward this end).
Protecting your claim can go a long way toward helping to ensure that you receive just compensation.
Upon Your Request, We Can Recommend a Dedicated Rideshare Accident Attorney in Doral
Rideshare accidents are often quite serious and rideshare claims can be just as complicated. If another motorist’s negligence leaves you injured in a rideshare accident, make the call to 1-800-388-CEDA today. We provide comprehensive medical services that can help you on the road toward recovery and, if you request that we do so, we can also recommend a practiced Doral rideshare accident attorney. Having an experienced rideshare accident attorney on your side can significantly increase your ability to bring a successful claim. We’re here to help, so please don’t hesitate to call us at 388CEDA today.
*388CEDA is not a law firm or an attorney referral service. 388CEDA does not provide legal advice, services, or legal representation to anyone including but not limited to visitors to this site or individuals/persons responding to our advertisements. In Florida, 388CEDA provides the following types of physician services: M.D., Orthopedic Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, General Practitioners, Nurse Practitioners, & D.C., Chiropractic Physicians that document and treat individuals that have suffered injuries. Results may vary and are not guaranteed. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call one of our agents at 388CEDA. We work with experienced attorneys.
