Columbia, SC Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers

Victims of Uber and Lyft accidents often find themselves facing serious injuries after the accident. In your time of need, an accident attorney can help. An insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver can help you get the compensation you need to pay for medical bills and other damages.

Filing a lawsuit against Uber or Lyft is unlikely to be possible because of the way these companies employ their drivers. However, the victims can still get compensation through insurance claims. If all else fails, a lawsuit against the specific driver who hit you can help you recover damages. This is true whether you were hit by an Uber or Lyft driver or whether you were riding in an Uber/Lyft when another driver hit you.

For a free legal consultation on your injury case, call Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers. Our Columbia, SC Uber and Lyft accident lawyers offer free legal consultations for injury victims. For help with your case, call us today at (803) 451-4000.

Suing Uber and Lyft for Car Accidents in Columbia, SC

After a car accident in South Carolina, victims can usually sue the at-fault driver. With crashes involving taxi drivers, this often means you can sue the taxi company as well as the driver. However, Uber and Lyft use different rules that often block liability. This does not stop victims from getting justice; it just changes how they seek compensation.

Uber and Lyft hire drivers as independent contractors. This means that they are essentially self-employed. Since you can only sue employers for their drivers’ mistakes, you typically cannot sue Uber or Lyft for accidents their drivers cause.

Nonetheless, both Uber and Lyft have insurance policies that help cover accidents involving their drivers and riders. This can help you get compensation without a lawsuit.

Filing an Insurance Claim for Uber or Lyft Accidents

Accidents can leave victims with serious injuries, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Although you cannot sue Uber and Lyft for these crashes, you can usually file insurance claims to get compensation. Your Columbia, SC Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can help negotiate damages and get you what you are owed.

When Uber and Lyft hire drivers, they require the drivers to carry their own rideshare insurance. If all other insurance policies fail, this should still cover your accident like with any other car crash case. The driver’s personal insurance will also cover the accident if the driver was off duty when the crash happened.

If the driver was on duty but did not have a passenger pickup set in the app, both companies have supplemental insurance policies. If the individual driver’s insurance is not enough to cover your accident, Uber or Lyft’s additional insurance can help.

Any time an Uber or Lyft has a passenger in the car or the driver is on the way to pick up a passenger, the company’s $1 million insurance policy will cover the crash. This means that if you were hurt as an Uber or Lyft passenger, this insurance policy should cover you. This policy also covers other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bikers hit by an Uber or Lyft driver. It even covers the driver – who could be just as much of a victim as the passengers if they were hit by another car.

Sometimes these insurance policies are enough to cover the accident. If there are additional damages you need, a Columbia Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can help bring the case to court and sue for damages.

Damages for Uber and Lyft Accident Victims in Columbia, SC

Victims are often entitled to substantial damages after an Uber or Lyft crash. Victims could face hospitalization or require emergency surgeries, which can be quite expensive. Further, serious injuries can keep you from returning to work, potentially affecting your income. Lastly, you can be left with serious pain and suffering.

All of these damages can be claimed in your case. Any expenses or harms that resulted from the crash can be claimed as part of an insurance claim or a lawsuit. If the insurance company refuses to pay some damages, our attorneys can negotiate with them and attempt to get the damages paid. If they still refuse, we can take the case to court.

If you were hit by an Uber or Lyft driver, then you could also face damage to your vehicle. This property damage can also be covered.

Uber and Lyft’s insurance policies typically cover up to $1 million per accident. This means that if more people were injured, that $1 million might be divided among multiple people. At the end of the day, it is important to work with an experienced injury attorney to see that the insurance policy does not run out of money and leave you without coverage.

Common Injuries in Uber and Lyft Crashes

Uber and Lyft passengers injured in crashes can face a variety of injuries. Although rideshare drivers typically drive normal, everyday cars, a lot of Uber and Lyft passengers do not wear seatbelts. This could make injuries worse.

Victims often face injuries such as the following:

Head injuries
Whiplash
Neck, back, and spine injuries
Broken bones
Bruises
Lacerations
Abrasions
Amputation
Paralysis
Facial scarring

If you or a loved one faced any of these injuries, you could be entitled to file a claim against the Uber or Lyft driver (or whichever driver caused the crash). Talk to an attorney about your injuries to avoid settling for low offers.

Call Our Columbia, SC Uber and Lyft Accident Attorneys

For help after an Uber or Lyft accident, call Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers. Our Columbia, SC Uber and Lyft accident lawyers seek to help victims get the financial compensation they need to move on with their lives. For a free case consultation, call (803) 451-4000 today.

$6 Million

The Plaintiff was injured as a result of a failing component of a commercial motor vehicle that fell from the vehicle into the roadway. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and operator of the tractor trailer as well as the manufacturer of the vehicle.

$4.1 Million

The Plaintiff was insured as a result of a refrigeration system that malfunctioned, spraying ammonia gas into the Plaintiff's face. As a result of this event, the Plaintiff sustained significant vision loss. The Plaintiff brought claims against his employer and the manufacturer of this system.

$2 Million

The Plaintiff was injured while riding his motorcycle when he collided with another vehicle. This event occurred in the city of Columbia and the Plaintiff sustained significant bodily injury resulting in extensive medical expenses and permanent injury.

$1.8 Million

The Plaintiff was injured when he was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 20. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and driver of the tractor trailer for his injuries relate to his lower back.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff sustained significant injury when she was attacked by a dog while performing repairs on a rental property. The Plaintiff was at the rental property as part of her employment with a rental management agency. She was attacked by the animal and sustained permanent nerve damage in her legs.

$1.3 Million

The Plaintiff was killed as a result of a collision with a logging truck that had been improperly loaded by a timber harvester. The proceeds of the settlement were funded by both the timber harvester and the owner of the logging truck.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff underwent surgery to her neck as a result of injuries sustained when she was struck on the head by a piece of loading equipment at her job. The Plaintiff was employed by a national retailer and was engaged in stocking shelves when the piece of equipment failed. After settling her workers' compensation claim, the Plaintiff brought a claim against the manufacturer of this equipment.

$1.1 Million

The Plaintiff brought a claim against a local medical facility for a false positive HIV reading. As a result of this false positive, the Plaintiff lived for 4½ years believing that she had the virus which leads to what she feared was an eventual AIDS diagnosis.