Atlanta Uber Accident Lawyer

Uber rides may be convenient, but they also pose legal complications. Compared to other common carrier methods, like registered taxi companies or municipal bus lines, accountability for accidents is less clear. Worse, vetting and training are far less rigorous. Nearly anybody can become an Uber driver in just a few short minutes. And while the company touts its processes and technologies that try to screen out drivers with criminal histories, the truth is that many Uber drivers break traffic laws — and other laws — all the time.

The most recent safety report published by Uber touts that the overwhelming majority of their trips end safely. Yet, the numbers are far from glowing. 101 individuals died in crashes during Uber trips during 2019 and 2020. More harrowing: the company reported 3,824 sexual assaults during trips over that period. 20 deaths resulted from assaults during formal Uber trips, as well.

Whether the causes of the crash were related to the Uber driver, flaws with their vehicle, the carelessness of a third party, or any other factors, what’s important is that accident victims are compensated for their losses. An Atlanta Uber accident lawyer can help them with filing a claim seeking 100% of the damages they have suffered.

Let an attorney from the CEO Lawyer Injury and Accident Law Firm assist you during your time of great need. We have extensive experience wrestling settlements and court awards from companies like Uber — which is rarely an easy task. We can discuss your case options and what types of damages could be available to you during a free, confidential, no-obligation case evaluation. Contact us today using our simple online form to schedule your free case review today.

How an Atlanta Uber Accident Attorney Helps You Recover After a Crash

Car crashes can lead to significant medical costs and other losses. According to the National Safety Council, the average crash injury costs $40,000 to treat. Accidents that lead to a disability result in an average of $155,000 in total treatment costs. Even when an injury was only considered minor or possible, the average medical cost after an accident is still $24,000.

When considering these costs, remember that they encompass all of the care required after recovering from the initial trauma. In many cases, an accident victim may require care for months — or a lifetime — even after they have technically healed from the original condition inflicted by the crash.

Additionally, anyone who suffers any sort of injury is highly likely to miss work days, or to be forced to work in a reduced capacity. These complications mean a reduction in their earnings: what’s known as “lost wages” in the field of injury accident claims.

An Atlanta Uber accident attorney can represent you for your injury claim filed against Uber, or any other third parties. While you could technically file such a claim on your own, the resources, experience, and legal knowledge your attorney brings can dramatically increase your chances of successful financial recovery. This assertion is especially true when filing a claim against companies like Uber, who are notorious for denying and undervaluing claims in order to protect their bottom line.

When you choose an attorney from our firm to represent you, know that you are getting more than just a Atlanta personal injury lawyer who will help you file paperwork. You are also getting the benefit of the following services we provide:

• Investigation of your Uber accident, including all potentially liable parties involved
• Calculation of your damages in full, including all projects future medical care and reductions in earnings
• Guidance through every stage of your case, informing you of your options and best possible strategies, based on our extensive experience handling rideshare accidents
• Separation of fact from fiction when it comes to your legal rights and the types of insurance benefits available for your damages
• Tireless negotiation of your claim, which may be contested or undervalued by Uber or their insurance representatives
• Management of your case, from start to finish, giving you extra time and piece of mind to focus on healing and recovering
• Assistance finding medical care through providers willing to set aside up-front costs until you have received a settlement
• Support throughout your case’s journey, thanks to the knowledgeable and highly qualified legal advocate at your side

Is There Insurance Available After an Uber Accident?

The good news after you have suffered an injury from an accident during an Uber ride is that you are likely to have at least one — and sometimes multiple — forms of liability insurance available. That means you should be able to identify at least one liable party with which you can file your injury claim.

While Uber initially didn’t offer insurance for drivers, they quickly found out that most conventional insurers won’t cover accidents that happen during a rideshare ride, as it is considered a commercial transaction. Simply put: consumer insurance policies are only supposed to cover personal trips. When someone is on-the-clock or using their vehicle to perform work-for-pay, then the employer is supposed to provide coverage in the event of an accident.

Operating technically as self-employed contractors, Uber drivers occupy a legal gray area when it comes to who is responsible for their mistakes. Initially, the company encouraged drivers to buy a separate commercial use policy — despite the fact that these are prohibitively expensive and often flat-out unavailable to individuals, as opposed to companies.

Eventually, Uber buckled under pressure. They now offer automatic coverage for most situations where a driver is using the app. However, they don’t cover everything all the time. This lack of complete coverage often means that an Uber accident victim must look deeply into their accident’s circumstances to identify any other potential sources of compensation.

What Does Uber Insurance Cover?

For Uber drivers in the U.S., the company provides the following types of coverage, depending on the situation the driver is in at the time of the incident:

• While the driver is using the app and waiting for a ride request (Note that Uber expects drivers to see if they can file under their own insurance before these benefits are available)
  • $50,000 in bodily injury per person
  • $100,000 in bodily injury per accident
  • $25,000 in property damage per accident
• While the driver is en route to a pickup, or currently carrying paying passengers
  • $1,000,000 third-party liability for injury and other damages
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury
  • Contingent comprehensive and collision for the driver’s vehicle, up to its actual cash value, albeit with a $2,500 deductible 
• While the app is off
  • The driver’s personal insurance must provide coverage

Although the coverage during actual trips seems generous, the truth is that getting these coverage amounts is often extremely difficult. The fine print on Uber’s policies, as well as the complicated nature of most accidents, means that the likely outcome of any claim will be for the company to delay, deny, or diminish the value of the claim as much as possible.

Beware any initial offer proposed to you, either by Uber or the driver themselves, as accepting compensation for your damages may legally prevent you from seeking further damages. Always speak with an attorney after you have been hurt in an accident, either as an Uber passenger or as someone who was hit by an Uber driver.

Other Possible Insurance Policies and Liable Parties

It may be possible that Uber’s insurance coverage is completely unavailable to you after your accident, or you may have potential claims with multiple parties. These third parties most commonly include:

• Other drivers involved in the accident, either as a commercial driver or someone taking a trip in a personal vehicle.
• Vehicle manufacturers who create defective vehicles or parts, either causing an accident or making one worse than it otherwise would have been
• Property owners, including municipalities and state highway agencies, whose failure to provide safe roadways led to the accident
• Other passengers or outside parties, including people taking a shared trip with you who cause an accident, assault you, or otherwise inflict harm requiring medical treatment

An Uber accident lawyer in Atlanta can investigate your case and identify anyone and everyone whose negligence or reckless actions led to your personal injury. We will then pursue every viable claim for the maximum amount of compensation possible.

What Types of Damages May Be Available in an Uber Accident Case?

Every car accident injury case is unique, but the following damages may be available, depending on what you have suffered:

• Medical bills, past and future — Includes any emergency treatment, surgery, hospital stays, tests/labwork, prescribed medicines, diagnostics, and incidental charges. Should also provide coverage for estimated costs of future care, including follow-ups, physical rehabilitation, long-term medications needed, etc.
• Lost wages — Calculated as the difference between your earnings prior to the accident compared to now. Can mean payment for missed work shifts as well as decreases in hours or pay, usage of paid time off, and any permanent or long-term reductions in pay as a result of being unable to return to former job duties.
• Property damages — Encompasses vehicle repairs, if you were hit by an Uber driver, as well as the replacement of any valuables destroyed in the accident, including devices, clothing, or other personal property of value.
• Pain and suffering — Provides you with compensation for the personal physical pain and emotional suffering you have endured as a result of your accident.
• Wrongful death damages — Available to surviving family and representatives of the decedent’s estate when an Uber accident proves fatal. Can include all of the above, as well as compensation for the costs of funeral and burial as well as the personal pain and suffering of the surviving family as a result of the loss.

What Can I Do After an Uber Accident to Maximize My Chances of Recovering the Damages I’ve Suffered?

There are a few important steps to take immediately after the accident as well as in the days that follow, which we will outline below.

However, we want to emphasize one of the most important steps: call the police.

Investigations and reports have shown that Uber drivers will be reluctant to call law enforcement for emergency response after an accident. Often, they will avoid even filing any report at all. Without a report, there can’t be an insurance claim, so recognize that you have the power to make the call and file a report, as well.

Uber as a company wants to reduce the number of accident reports they file so that their statistics for collisions and injuries look better than they actually are. As a result, a driver may use every excuse available to not call 911 after a wreck, even though that’s the first thing you should do. Many passengers, presuming that it’s the driver’s decision whether or not to call for emergency response, don’t realize that they will have to be the ones to make the call. The above-linked column from the New York Times says that a driver will actively avoid saying as much, meaning that they won’t encourage passengers to call 911 after a crash.

Remember that, no matter what a driver says, you always have the right to request emergency assistance, especially when it’s even remotely possible that you have been hurt.

With this in mind, here are the steps you should take after you have been in a crash involving an Uber driver, either as a passenger or a driver yourself:

• Tell the driver to stop the vehicle immediately. If you are in a busy stretch of road, have them pull over to the closest shoulder spot possible if the vehicle is still operating. If there is no safe place to pull over, you may look for a nearby parking lot or pull-off spot, but make sure anyone else involved in the accident is aware where you are going and that they should follow, if possible.
• Check to see who’s hurt, and then call 911. Look over yourself, any fellow passengers, and the driver to see if anyone is bleeding or otherwise may be hurt. You can also check on the occupants of any other vehicles involved. Then, immediately, call 911 to request a police respondent at the scene, as well as emergency medical care for anyone who has been injured.
• Wait at the scene, and avoid discussing the accident. Try to remain calm. Absolutely do not make any statements that could be interpreted as you accepting blame for the crash or contributing to its circumstances. Similarly, don’t try to level blame at anyone or discuss the accident in any detail. Wait to give this information to the police.
• Document the accident scene while you wait. Take photos of the crash wreckage, preferably before any vehicles have been moved. Also, get photos of your injuries immediately after the crash. Document any landmarks nearby, including road signs or close-by buildings, so that the location of the accident is easy to identify. If your driver (or anyone else involved) is acting erratic, you may want to record their behavior in a video. This documentation will be valuable for your car accident attorney in Atlanta to build a strong case.
• Get contact info of any witnesses before they leave. See if they are willing to make a recorded statement about what happened.
• Provide an accurate and complete report to police, without over-speculating. Focus on the facts of the accident, and try not to leave out any details. At the same time, spare the police from any assumptions or speculations you may have about the accident or its causes. Instead, relay the details you noticed: how your driver was acting, the timing of the collision, whether you saw the other vehicle (or hazard) prior to the collision, etc.
• Seek prompt medical care. Even if you don’t feel hurt, you’ll need a complete evaluation to rule out any injuries disguised by stress and adrenaline.
• Talk to a lawyer before you talk to any insurance companies. Never provide a recorded statement to insurers, and avoid divulging any details about the accident beyond what’s on the police report. You want to wait for this information to come out from an independent investigation conducted by your attorneys.

Call Ali Awad, the CEO Lawyer, When You’ve Been Hurt by an Uber Driver

Uber is notorious for trying to avoid the costs of the accidents their drivers cause. As a monied up corporation, they can hire defense attorneys and other individuals to fight back against injury claims. The good news: you can, too!

Ali Awad and his CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm will provide you with legal representation and aggressive pursuit of your injury claim at no up-front cost. We also only get paid if you are able to receive some form of compensation, meaning you risk nothing to secure our legal services. We’ll not only fight for your claim, but provide you with the resources you need to get a full diagnosis and start recovering fast from the injuries you’ve suffered.

The legal help you need to pay your bills is just a call or click away, so use our contact us page or the form you see here to schedule your 100% free, confidential, and no-risk case review with an Atlanta Uber accident lawyer today.