What happens if you\u2019re injured in a car accident in an Uber or Lyft, or any other ride-sharing program? Who\u2019s responsible for your medical bills, and whose insurance company will you have to deal with? Here\u2019s what you need to know if you\u2019ve been injured in an accident in an Uber or Lyft.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a passenger or driver, being involved in a car crash is scary \u2013 and the aftermath can be devastating. You could be dealing with serious and even life-threatening injuries, and you may end up being unable to go to work while you heal. So what happens if an Uber, Lyft or other ride-sharing service is involved?<\/p>\n
Rideshare companies \u2013 the most popular and widely known of which are Uber and Lyft \u2013 are companies that provide peer-to-peer rides from one place to another. The drivers are generally freelancers and can choose whom to pick up and where to drive, and they can agree upon payment with the passenger. For the most part, these services are provided through apps that connect drivers and passengers. They\u2019re generally like carpools with money involved.<\/p>\n
Related: Should you call a lawyer after a car accident?<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Uber and Lyft cars aren\u2019t commercial vehicles, even though their owners are charging a fee for rides. They aren\u2019t registered or insured as commercial vehicles (like taxi cabs and buses are). However, there are special insurance options<\/a> for Uber and Lyft drivers.<\/p>\n After any type of car accident<\/a>, the most important thing for you to do is to seek medical treatment. That\u2019s true even if you don\u2019t think you\u2019re seriously injured \u2013 and even if you don\u2019t think you\u2019re injured at all. Some injuries can take days or even weeks to show up, including possibly life-changing injuries like TBI. Even whiplash, which is one of the most common car accident injuries, doesn\u2019t always show up right away (you may not even know you have whiplash until several days have passed since the accident).<\/p>\n Your first call, once you\u2019ve begun receiving medical treatment, should be to an attorney who can help you determine your next steps.<\/p>\n The reality is that because Uber and Lyft are new \u2013 particularly when you compare them to public transit or taxi services \u2013 the laws governing accidents involving them (and other ride-sharing services) are still evolving. It\u2019s important for you to know that the people who work for these types of companies are independent contractors, and liability can be a little tricky in situations like these.<\/p>\n Related: The main reason to file a car accident lawsuit in California<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n After your attorney determines who\u2019s responsible for your injuries, you\u2019ll most likely enter into negotiations with the responsible party. Your lawyer will explain what the accident has cost you in terms of medical bills and lost wages, as well as psychologically and physically, to the responsible party\u2019s insurance company. Generally, the insurance company will make a settlement offer. You do not have to accept that offer. Your attorney will help you cross that bridge when you come to it.<\/p>\n Often, negotiations go back and forth for a while. You\u2019ll either end up accepting a settlement offer or your attorney will advise you to file a formal lawsuit in court. Lawyers usually only recommend lawsuits when they\u2019re absolutely necessary \u2013 like when the insurance company refuses to pay you a fair amount for what you\u2019ve been through. That\u2019s because lawsuits can be time-consuming and expensive (you\u2019ll end up paying your legal fees out of your court-ordered award), and your lawyer\u2019s job is to get you the best possible outcome\u2026 even if that means he or she works fewer hours on your case because you settled out of court.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been injured in a car crash in an Uber or Lyft \u2013 or in any other ride-sharing service \u2013 we may be able to help you. Call us at 818-230-8380 now for a free consultation. We\u2019ll meet you at home, in the hospital or in our office, or just talk to you over the phone, to discuss your case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What happens if you\u2019re injured in a car accident in an Uber or Lyft, or any other ride-sharing program? Who\u2019s responsible for your medical bills, and whose insurance company will you have to deal with? Here\u2019s what you need to know if you\u2019ve been injured in an accident in an Uber or Lyft. Injured in a Car Accident in an … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[5,56,4482,2305,2304],"tags":[2328,4481,4602,4643,4642,4641,4646,2655,4645,4648,4649,4650,4640,4647,4644],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2358"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yeremianlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Are Uber and Lyft Cars Considered Commercial Vehicles?<\/h3>\n
What if You\u2019re a Passenger in an Uber or Lyft and You\u2019re in an Accident?<\/h3>\n
What Kinds of Damages Can You Get After a Car Accident in an Uber or Lyft?<\/h3>\n
Do You Need to Talk to a Lawyer After Being Injured in a Car Accident in an Uber or Lyft?<\/h2>\n