March 24, 2023
When someone is injured in an Uber accident, how much insurance coverage they get may depend on the actions of the Uber driver in the moments leading up to the incident. When an Uber driver causes a vehicle collision, liability is questioned, and the outcome will vary based on if they were considered an independent contractor, employee, or operating the car on their personal time and not connected to the app when the accident happened. If you were riding as a passenger in an Uber, then you may be asking yourself who is responsible for the injury and damage that resulted.
The driver’s status may also have an effect on how much passengers receive in damages through a personal injury lawsuit. Car accident injuries can cause losses in the form of lost wages, medical bills, car repairs, and replacement of damaged personal items. The total in damages may exceed what the minimum insurance coverage limits are for drivers. As an uber accident lawyer explains, insurance limits are low and the driver does not have sufficient assets, an injured passenger may be left having to pay for the costs of the accident themselves, which is not fair to someone who was just utilizing the Uber service and had no fault in the situation unfolding.
Let’s say that you took an Uber as a passenger and did not cause the accident to happen, but you were not wearing your seat belt at the time. Some people see riding an Uber or taxi differently than if they were riding in a friend’s car, and may not wear a seatbelt. But failing to have a seat belt on can reduce your chances to recover repayment for the damages you accrued, such as costs for medical bills and loss of wages from missing work, among others. The Uber driver who caused the accident, their insurance company, or Uber may claim that you were negligent from not wearing a seat belt, and that your injuries would have been avoided or less severe if a seat belt had been on.
Uber drivers, and other rideshare drivers, may have different degrees of liability based on exactly what they were doing when the accident happened. For instance, there are usually three liability limits including whether the rideshare driver was picking up a passenger, was logged onto the uber app and waiting for the passenger, and if the driver was not connected to the app and was driving on their personal time. Depending on factors such as these, the liability limits could be in the thousands of dollars or millions. Ultimately, passengers who were simply taking an Uber when their driver or another caused an accident may be left with costs that they should not have to pay themselves. This is a common reason why people get help from a law firm team familiar with handling Uber accidents, such as Norris Injury Law. Your lawyer can review evidence and hear your side of the story, then inform you who was most likely at fault and how much in compensation you deserve.
If you are wondering who is responsible for your Uber accident, consider the information provided here and visit with a lawyer near you as soon as possible if needed.