*Ridesharing has become popular as a mode of travel. People like the convenience and response times offered by Uber and Lyft. These two companies now dominate the rideshare industry. The service they offer is simple in that it allows everyday drivers to offer taxi service to those who need it.
Anyone with a driver’s license and a privately-owned can become a rideshare driver. No special training or qualification is necessary. This convenience does not come without some risk, however. The lack of control and regulation in the rideshare industry has had negative consequences. If you as a passenger were injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, then you do have legal options.
The Increasing Rate of Uber and Lyft Accidents
After a decade of decline, road accidents are once again on the rise. Recent figures suggest a 15% increase in the number of car crashes in the country. Most of these occurred in densely populated areas—the same areas in which Uber and Lyft are most active. The two companies operate primarily in large urban and sub-urban areas, which has led many experts to believe that the spike in auto accidents is attributable to the sudden appearance and growth of the rideshare industry.
The conditions under which rideshare drivers operate increase their risk of having an accident. Most rideshare drivers do the work part-time to make ends meet. They may do a shift after they have already put in a full-day of work on another job. They are likely to be tired and fatigued when they get behind the wheel, which makes them less alert and unsafe.
Rideshare drivers want to collect as many fares as they can. This compels them to exceed the speed limit and break other traffic laws to get a party to their destination so that they can make themselves available for another. Such recklessness often leads to an accident.
Why You Need a Ridesharing Accident Lawyer
A car accident is a sudden, violent, and jolting experience—especially if you are a passenger. No matter how slight your injuries may seem, you should always go to the hospital and get looked at by a physician.
The accident will prompt investigations from various organizations. Representatives of the latter will want to interview you and later may make you a settlement offer. You should not sit down with anyone without a lawyer. Indeed, the first thing you should do after the accident is to retain the services of a ridesharing accident lawyer.
You should also have an Uber accident lawyer or Lyft accident lawyer present during any discussion of a settlement. Whether you are contacted by phone or in-person, you should tell the person with whom you speak that you need to consult with your lawyer before entering negotiations.
You may receive $1 million from Uber. That is what the company will typically offer passengers injured in one of their cars up to $1 million. If you sustained only minor injuries and the money covers your medical expenses and lost wages, then your attorney may advise you to accept this offer. However, if you have sustained much graver injuries, then $1 million may not cut it. You may need to demand more money.
The Financial Impact of a Serious Ridesharing Accident
Being in an accident can throw your life into upheaval. You will need to spend months in the hospital. Teams of physicians may need to perform a series of extensive and invasive surgical procedures just to keep you alive. You may then need to spend more time in physical rehabilitation and taking prescription drug medication. During this time, you will be on your back and out of work, and you will not be able to pay your bills.
The problems will not stop when you are ready to go back to your job. It may take you some time to fully recover from the accident; and until you do, you may need to reduce the number of hours you work. Indeed, you may have to give up your line of work. And this, if you have spent your life building up the skills of your trade, can devastate your financial prospects.
If your injury has permanently disabled you, it may be necessary to hire an in-home care professional. You may also need to alter your home to accommodate your new condition. All this costs money. It will require you to seek the kind of settlement that will help you adjust to your new life.
If the rideshare company refuses your demand for money, then you can sue them. Your lawyer can help.
What Your Lawyer Will Do
West coast trial lawyers provide the kind of legal representation that helps ordinary people get justice. West coast trial lawyers possess the expertise and experience to get you the money you deserve for the accident that has destroyed your life. They specialize in car accident tort law. They will be able to gather the facts, introduce the forensic evidence, and employ the law to help you win your case. You can gather more information regarding Uber/Lyft accident information at Westcoasttriallawyers.com/ca/los-angeles-uber-and-lyft-accidents-lawyer/
Here are some of the specific actions your Uber accident lawyer or Lyft accident lawyer will take:
Gather the Facts
Your lawyer will not simply accept the official report of the accident. They will launch an independent inquiry. They will bring in professional investigators to re-assess the evidence. Your legal team will re-interview people who saw the accident first-hand. This can often lead to new insights into how the accident occurred.
The police may have overlooked important witnesses to the accident. It may also be the case that certain witnesses refused to be interviewed by police. Some people want nothing to do with law enforcement and will not speak to a cop. However, they may not mind making a statement to a private investigator. Your legal team may also discover that one of the witnesses captured before, during, and after shots of the accident on their phone camera.
The investigators will also scrutinize the background of the rideshare driver. Uber and Lyft have come under pressure to put into place mechanisms to screen drivers and to dis-qualify those who have driving offenses. If your driver has run afoul of the law, your attorney will find out about it. They will also make inquiries into the physical and mental state of the driver. If they were too tired to drive or were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, your attorney will use this to further your case.
Introduce Forensic Evidence
Your lawyer will also bring in auto accident reconstruction experts. The damage done during an accident leaves trace evidence of how it occurred. Accident reconstruction experts use the evidence left at the scene to develop a computer model of how the accident happened. Courts accept these simulations as legal evidence. They are at times essential in proving who was at fault for the car crash.
Your lawyer will also bring in medical experts who can make statements or testify about your injuries. These experts will be able to explain the cause of your injury, how it was caused by the accident, and why it has left you in such a debilitated state. Your lawyer will also hire experts who know how to break down difficult medical concepts so that they can be understood by laypersons.
Use the Law
Your lawyer will need to prove that the accident owed to the inattention and negligence of the driver, that it did you serious and lasting harm, and that you are owed money because of it. West Coast Trial Lawyers is one of the personal injury law firm options you can look into. Lawyers who specialize in this field of torts are equipped to do just that. If they can show overwhelming evidence against the respondent, then the latter may decide to settle rather than go through an expensive and embarrassing trial.
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