Rideshare as a means of transportation has become very popular over the last few years. It has empowered commuters and made it easier to get from one place to another. Nearly anyone with a driver’s license and a privately-owned vehicle can join the network of Uber and Lyft drivers. No special training or qualification is necessary, which makes it difficult to keep reckless drivers at bay.
If you have been injured in a rideshare accident and it was the fault of your driver, you do have legal options.
First Steps
As soon as you are able, you should contact a Philadelphia personal injury attorney. Do not accept any kind of offer or sign any document until you have consulted with a lawyer and had them review it. During the initial consultation, your lawyer will ask you to recall the events and circumstances that led to the accident and all that happened afterward. Your lawyer will need these facts before they can advise you on any settlement package you may be offered. They will also want to hear your story in case you are forced to sue.
The Kind of Accident
In going through the details of the accident, your attorney will attempt to categorize the accident. Here are the most common scenarios:
- A passenger in a Lyft hit by someone else
- A passenger in a Lyft accident caused by their driver
- A driver hit by a Lyft driver
- A pedestrian hit by Lyft driver
If your case falls within the first two of these categories and you were in an Uber vehicle, you may be offered up to $1 million in damages. It is the policy of Uber to offer such compensation to passengers who were hurt in a car driven by one of their drivers. If you are a driver or a pedestrian hit by an Uber driver, you may be eligible for the same financial support.
However, the money is not guaranteed. That is why you should contact a lawyer as soon as you can.
Increase in Rideshare Accidents
Rideshare accidents are on the rise. This has been attributed mostly to the nature of the business. Many rideshare drivers work part-time. They do the job to make ends meet, and they can be quite aggressive in trying to get fares. The desire to get as many fares as possible in a given time leads many rideshare drivers to behave in negligent and unsafe ways. The problem is especially acute in urban areas like Philadelphia.
The Impact of an Accident
If you are the victim of such recklessness, it could put you in the hospital for weeks or months. You will not be able to earn money during this time and your medical bills will accumulate, including the expense of rehabilitative treatment and prescription drugs. When you are healthy enough to go back to your job, you may have to reduce the number of hours you work or take a lower-paying position.
In the most serious types of accidents, you may not be able to go back to work at all. You may need to arrange for long-term treatment and care.
You should not have to shoulder the financial burden for an accident that was not your fault. If the compensation offered by Uber or Lyft will not cover your expenses, loss of wages, and the pain and suffering you have had to endure, your lawyer can help you file suit.
What Your Lawyer Can Do
Kwartler Manus, LLC is a Philadelphia personal injury firm with extensive experience in Uber and Lyft accident cases. The first thing your lawyer will do is engage the services of professional investigators who will re-examine the evidence recovered from the scene and re-interview any eyewitnesses to the accident.
Your lawyer will also make inquiries into the background of the driver. If they have been cited in the past for breaking traffic laws, your lawyer will find out about it. They will also find out if your lawyer was overtired, drinking, or sending text messages while behind the wheel.
The Kwartler Manus team will also get statements from medical experts that will explain the nature and extent of your injuries and why they could have only been sustained in the accident.
Your legal team will also employ the law itself. They will prove that the accident was caused by the reckless behavior of the rideshare driver, that you were injured as a result of it, and that you are entitled to a specific sum of money. Tort law regarding rideshare accidents is still being developed. But a number of high-profile cases have been won against Uber and Lyft. If your lawyers are able to present the respondent with enough evidence, they may decide to offer you a much larger settlement rather than take their chances in a courtroom.
If you were injured in a rideshare accident, call (267) 457-5570 today to schedule your free case evaluation.