The most popular form of hired vehicle in Gwinnett County is now Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing services. App-based services have significantly lowered the importance of taxis and black car limousines. While these technologies have made it easier to get around, they have also led to an increase in related personal injury cases, claims which can be clouded by confusing employment and liability law.
Drivers of Uber, Lyft, and taxis are responsible for the passengers in their vehicle and the safety of the passengers in their vehicle. If you have been injured in an accident, a Gwinnett County Uber/Lyft accident lawyer could help you pursue compensation.
Uber and Lyft drivers are not actually employees of their rideshare companies. Instead, they are independent contractors. As a result, each driver is required to hold their own insurance policy in case of an accident. Only in limited situations will the actual parent company be responsible for damages after an Uber/Lyft accident.
Drivers can go about recovering damages caused by a car accident with an Uber driver by first calling the police and getting a police report. They then need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney so that a lawyer can collect the relevant information, file a claim, and start the legal process.
If a person is in an accident with a hired driver, they need to make sure they record the hired driver’s name and insurance information. They should also save any sort of receipts or electronic information that shows that they were a passenger in the vehicle. Most ridesharing apps include a full digital history of a user’s rides, including driver information, duration, distance, and other documentation
In many cases, the responding police officer will file an accident report that contains valuable information about the collision, relevant traffic patterns, and sometimes which driver is to blame for the accident. Obtaining a copy of the accident report could be crucial to filing a successful claim after an Uber/Lyft accident.
Finally, an injured driver or passenger should take care to record and document all medical treatment. In order for a claim to accurately compensate for damages, it needs to include the full cost of things like surgery, rehabilitation, specialist consultations, medication, medical devices, and other factors. A Gwinnett County Uber/Lyft accident lawyer could help an individual collect important information and evidence before beginning a legal claim against a negligent driver.
An injured driver or passenger should hire a Gwinnett County Uber/Lyft accident lawyer when dealing with a car accident involving a rideshare. These types of accidents add multiple layers of complication to a case that an experienced attorney may be best equipped to deal with. An Uber/Lyft accident is not an average car wreck. It needs to be handled with precision. Otherwise, a plaintiff may not receive the full value of their claim and not be compensated as they should.