Florence, SC Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer
Uber and Lyft accidents can involve an at-fault rideshare driver who puts their passengers and others at risk of injury or an innocent rideshare driver who gets hit by another dangerous driver. In either case, our lawyers can help the victims get compensation for their injuries and work to recover from the accident.
Getting compensation can be confusing in these types of crashes. Do you sue Uber/Lyft for your injuries? Whose insurance covers the accident? How much is your case worth? Our lawyers can help you answer these questions and more – and we can represent you in your case and fight for compensation.
Call our Uber and Lyft accident attorneys today at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by dialing (803) 451-4000.
Can You Sue Uber or Lyft for a Car Accident in Florence, SC?
Suing for damages in a car accident is a common way to get the compensation you need. Insurance companies often fail to compensate victims in full, and it takes a lawsuit to pressure them into a fair settlement – or a jury verdict to get them to pay what you need. However, you can only sue certain parties for a crash.
Parties You Can Sue
An Uber or Lyft driver can be sued if they were the one who caused the crash. Even if they were only partly responsible, our Uber and Lyft accident lawyers can help you hold them responsible for their share of the damages and injuries they caused.
Other drivers might also be responsible for the crash. If that is the case, then you can sue them instead or in addition to the Uber/Lyft driver. Even the Uber or Lyft driver might be a victim in the accident, and they could be entitled to sue the other driver.
Why You Can’t Sue Uber or Lyft
Usually, you cannot sue Uber or Lyft directly for a car accident. For a party to be held liable, you need to be able to point to something that they did wrong to cause the crash. In the case of a driver’s employer, you might be able to sue a trucking company for maintenance issues with the truck or a bus company for negligent retention of a dangerous driver, for example. However, when it comes to rideshare companies, they have no real involvement in the day-to-day operations of an Uber or Lyft driver.
Rideshare drivers are quite independent, and the companies they work for do not control their daily activities. As such, Uber and Lyft usually are not involved and, therefore, cannot do anything to cause a crash. In some rare cases, you might be able to sue for negligence in the hiring process if they failed to vet a driver properly.
Taxi, trucking, and bus companies can sometimes be sued for “vicarious liability” simply because they are the driver’s employer. This is similar to how you would sue a grocery store for a worker causing a spill that leads to a slip and fall. This does not work with Uber or Lyft either in most cases because this only works with employees of a company. Rideshare drivers are billed as independent contractors and treated like self-employed instead of working as employees.
Whose Insurance Covers an Uber or Lyft Accident in Florence, SC?
While you might ultimately need to turn to a lawsuit, you should usually start your case with an insurance claim. However, different situations might involve coverage by different insurance companies and policies:
Your Insurance
If you have first-party benefits on your own insurance, that might cover you in some instances. Check with an attorney and check your policy for what benefits you have.
The Uber Driver’s Personal Insurance
If an Uber or Lyft driver is off duty when they hit you, their own personal driver’s insurance should cover the crash like in any other accident.
The Uber Driver’s Rideshare Insurance
Rideshare drivers and other commercial drivers must carry commercial driver’s insurance. Usually, insurance companies offer a special “rideshare insurance” for Uber and Lyft drivers that fills this role. This insurance should be available to cover any accident the driver causes while on duty, but other insurance policies might take precedence.
Uber and Lyft’s Insurance
Both rideshare companies have insurance policies that help cover accidents involving their drivers. If the driver was on duty but had no fares at the time, then there should be a policy to cover up to $50,000 as a supplement to the driver’s rideshare insurance. Suppose they had a rider in their car or were on the way to pick up a chosen ride. In that case, a $1 million insurance policy provided by the rideshare company should pay for the accident and take precedence over any other insurance in the case.
Another Driver’s Insurance
If another driver caused the crash, their insurance should cover the damages. At-fault drivers pay for damages in South Carolina, so if the Uber driver was innocent, then the other driver’s insurance should be the one to cover the damages. However, Uber’s insurance might take precedence in some situations, especially when covering a rider.
How Much Is My Uber or Lyft Accident Worth in Florence, SC?
Determining how much your specific injuries and vehicle damage are worth is impossible without analyzing the facts of the case. However, we can give you some information to begin calculating these damages.
First, any bills or expenses you faced due to the crash should be claimed. That includes medical and vehicle repair bills and other various costs that you would never have had to pay if it were not for the crash. Second, any wages or payments you missed because of the crash should be covered in full, too. That includes payment for work you cannot do because of your injuries and reductions in pay for reduced work tasks. Lastly, you can get compensation for pain and suffering, but the value of these damages varies greatly depending on the severity of your injuries.
Call Our Law Offices for Help with Your Uber Accident in Florence, SC Today
For help with your case, call the Uber and Lyft accident attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers at (803) 451-4000.
