Hurt by an Uber or Lyft driver? It doesn’t matter whether you were in the vehicle at the time of the accident or hit by the driver while on the road or sidewalk. Rideshare companies have a responsibility. They are legally obligated to cover the damages of anyone hurt by their on-duty drivers.
Rideshare companies and their insurers will fight you tooth and nail to avoid paying you this money, though. They may use aggressive tactics, including digging up your past medical records for pre-existing conditions or alleging that you were the cause of the accident. In many cases, they will attempt to say that the rideshare driver was operating outside the scope of their contract, meaning your accident isn’t covered.
Don’t buy it! You should not have to pay for your medical bills and other losses after a serious accident with an Uber, Lyft, or any other rideshare service. Show the rideshare companies you mean business by working with the CEO Lawyer and his team. They will fight back against insurer tactics, and we will help you seek the settlement you need to fully recover.
Protect your legal interests and your financial future by reaching out today. Call our injury and accident attorneys at (470) 323-8779 or complete our simple contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Georgia rideshare accident lawyer near you.
Helping You Recover After a Rideshare Accident in Georgia
Rideshare companies were a game-changer when it came to getting from A to B safely. No longer did you have to wait forever in downtown Atlanta for a cab, and you could avoid the hefty expense of calling for a ride to come to your home. From Athens to Savannah to Macon and beyond, everyone was finally getting the chance to catch a ride nearly anywhere in the state. Plus, rideshare companies gave Georgians the opportunity to make money on the side.
There’s just one catch: rideshare companies purposefully operate in a gray area when it comes to safety and liability. Within a few years of the rise of companies like Uber and Lyft, horror stories abounded of people hurt in accidents with no clear place to turn for the money they needed to recover. The personal insurance of the rideshare drivers refused to cover them using the vehicle for commercial purposes, and the rideshare companies wanted to put responsibility completely on the driver.
Luckily, things have changed …for the most part. Rideshare operators are now obligated by law to provide insurance coverage on behalf of their drivers. This coverage is accessible by passengers riding in the rideshare vehicle at the time of the accident, and it is also available to anyone else on the road when they are hit by a rideshare driver.
Getting this insurance money is rarely easy, though. Rideshare companies will do everything in their power to deny liability or reduce the available damages of your claim. Worse, they assume you don’t know the value of your case, and so they’ll send you an embarrassingly low initial settlement offer.
You don’t have to be a legal genius to avoid falling victim to these tactics. That’s because you can hire your own experienced, knowledgeable legal advocate to do all the work for you. Let the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm represent you during your claim, and we fight for the rights of all Georgians to get the money they need to recover after their rideshare accident.
What Insurance Is Available After a Rideshare Accident?
Rideshare companies have the leeway to set their own policies and prices when it comes to providing liability insurance. Even within the same company, the insurance available will differ depending on whether the driver was actively carrying a passenger, en route to a pickup, or not using the app at all.
The following are examples of the insurance coverage available from two of the biggest companies.
Uber Rideshare Accident Insurance
- Accident during a trip or en route to a pickup: $1M third-party liability coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injury
- Accident while the driver is using the app, waiting for a ride request: $50,000 bodily injury liability (BIL) per person, $100,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage liability (PDL)
- The driver isn’t using the app: Driver’s personal liability insurance applies
Lyft Rideshare Accident Insurance
- Accident during a trip or en route to a pickup: $1M third-party liability coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injury
- Accident while the driver is using the app, waiting for a ride request: $50,000 bodily injury liability (BIL) per person, $100,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage liability (PDL)
- The driver isn’t using the app: Driver’s personal liability insurance applies
As of 2022, these amounts are the same for Uber and Lyft, but this is subject to change.
What Do I Do After a Car Accident With an Uber or Lyft in Georgia?
Whether you were a rideshare passenger or an innocent bystander on the road, the same steps apply when it comes to protecting your legal rights and maximizing your chances of recovering money for your damages.
- Make the driver stop the vehicle. Stop your own vehicle if you were hit by a rideshare driver.
- Call 911 and request an emergency respondent. Request an ambulance for anyone seriously hurt.
- Remain calm, and do not discuss fault or causation. Be extremely careful about what you say or do during this time. Note that you may be recorded by the rideshare driver.
- Document your accident using your smartphone or anything else available. Take photos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and your injuries. You may want to consider recording your driver once the accident happens to have proof of their behavior and actions in the aftermath of the accident.
- Provide a complete, accurate recounting of the crash to the police. Include as many details as you can remember. Do not discuss fault or causation. Do not volunteer information that could indicate you contributed to the fault in any way, but do answer any questions truthfully to the best of your ability.
- Get medical attention ASAP. If you are seriously hurt, do not refuse an ambulance ride. Regardless of how hurt you feel, seek medical attention within the next 1-2 days to fully diagnose any possible latent injuries.
- Talk to your own attorney before you talk to the rideshare insurers. Insurance companies covering rideshare accidents make it their business to find any means possible to deny or reduce coverage. Avoid falling into traps by appointing an attorney to represent you.
When Is the Rideshare Driver Responsible for My Accident?
If you were a passenger in the driver’s vehicle at the time of the accident, your damages should be covered by the commercial liability insurance policy regardless of who was at fault.
If you were in your own vehicle (or a pedestrian, etc.) and were hit by a rideshare driver, know that Georgia is an at-fault state. This means that you have an obligation to prove that the rideshare driver was negligent if you want to seek compensation for your losses.
Examples of Lyft or Uber driver negligence include:
- Speeding
- Ignoring traffic signals and signs
- Failing to yield
- Failing to fully check before merging or changing lanes
- Following too closely
- Driving under the influence
- Driving while distracted, including by the rideshare app, conversing with passengers, etc
- Aggressive driving (a common problem for drivers who get paid per trip)
- Failure to properly maintain their vehicle
- Failure to drive appropriately for the conditions
Do Not Waive Your Right to a Settlement for All of Your Damages
Many times in the wake of an Uber or Lyft accident in Georgia, you will be offered money for your injuries and your stress. This may be in the form of a hasty settlement offer from the rideshare company. Even more commonly, you may be offered cash by the driver to avoid them having to report the crash and to avoid you filing a claim.
Never be lured into accepting any money unless it covers your damages in full! Firstly, when a driver offers you cash to not report the accident, this is both shady and illegal. Yet, accepting this cash can count as an informal agreement to waive your liability claim.
In any case, have a Georgia rideshare accident attorney fully review your situation before you accept any offer. They can help you calculate your damages in full and only entertain offers that reasonably compensate you for your losses.
Types of Compensation Available After a Georgia Rideshare Accident
After an accident with a rideshare driver, you can seek compensation for the following types of damages, as is appropriate for your case:
- Past medical bills including emergency treatment, diagnostics, specialists, hospital stays, surgery, and more
- Future medical costs, including any long-term treatment, follow-up care, and rehabilitation
- Out of pocket expenses for transit to medical appointments, OTC meds, copays, etc.
- Lost wages, including any long-term or permanent loss of earning capacity
- Property damage, including vehicle repairs and replacement of jewelry, smartphones, etc.
- Pain and suffering including loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, etc
- Punitive damages in cases of extreme recklessness or negligence
Talk to the CEO Lawyer to Get on the Path to Recovery
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm has a dedicated team ready to assist you after your rideshare crash. We not only step in to start handling the most-critical aspects of your case immediately, but we can also refer you to the best service providers available in the aftermath of your injuries. We work with highly rated medical care providers, vehicle repair centers, and accident investigators to help you get all the services you need with no up-front costs.
And, as always, our services come at no cost to you until and unless we are able to recover a settlement or jury award. We aren’t afraid to take insurance companies and rideshare companies to task for the injuries they’re supposed to cover. If they balk at this responsibility, we aren’t afraid to file a lawsuit or take your case to court — whatever it takes to seek the money you need!
Put yourself in good hands after your traumatic and life-changing rideshare injury crash. Complete our quick contact form or call (470) 323-8779 to schedule an appointment with an experienced rideshare injury lawyer near you. During your free initial case review, we’ll go over the details of your case and tell you the steps we’ll follow to maximize your chances of a complete recovery.
