You were not in control at the time of your rideshare accident injury. However, you are in control of your recovery. You can seek financial compensation to cover things like medical expenses, lost income, physical pain, and emotional suffering, but first, you have to identify which insurance company is responsible for paying your damages.
Which Insurance Company Should Pay for Your Rideshare Injuries?
Depending on the circumstances of the crash, there are three options:
The Rideshare Company Insurance May Pay Damages
Uber and Lyft maintain insurance that could apply when you are in an accident. Rideshare company insurance applies if the rideshare app is on at the time of the accident. For example, Uber or Lyft may provide liability coverage if the crash occurs while:
- A Lyft or Uber driver is logged into the app and available for ride requests. In this case, the rideshare company insurance may apply if the driver’s personal insurance does not apply. Rideshare insurance includes up to $50,000 for each person for bodily injury with a $100,000 bodily injury limit and up to $25,000 in property damage.
- A Lyft or Uber driver has the app on and is actively picking up or transporting passengers. Once the driver accepts a ride request, the rideshare company’s liability insurance increases to $1 million.
You may still recover damages in other situations, but the rideshare company’s insurer may not be responsible for your accident compensation.
A Driver’s Car Insurance May Compensate You
A driver’s personal car insurance may cover your damages if you are hurt by a driver other than the Uber or Lyft driver or if you are hurt by a rideshare driver who is not working at the time of the crash.
Your Car Insurance May Apply
Sometimes, your car insurance may cover some or all of your damages. For example, your car insurer may pay your damages if the party responsible for your crash is underinsured. In other words, if the value of your damages exceeds the responsible party’s insurance limits, your insurance company may cover the rest of your damages if you have underinsured motorist coverage as part of your car insurance policy.
What You Need to Prove After Any Rideshare Accident
Our Kansas City Uber accident lawyers can fight for your full and fair compensation. To do that, we will:
Identify Who Caused the Crash
You have to identify the cause of the crash before an insurer will settle your claim or a successful decision is reached in court. Specifically, you need to prove that the person:
- Owed you a duty of care. All drivers are legally obligated to act reasonably and responsibly while operating a motor vehicle.
- Breached the duty of care. A driver breaches the duty of care by failing to act like a reasonable person. For example, a driver who speeds, runs a red light, texts and drives, or drives under the influence of alcohol breach the duty of care.
- Caused the crash. You need to prove that the accident happened because the defendant breached the duty of care. This is also known as “but-for” causation because the accident would not have occurred but for the defendant’s breach of the duty of care.
- Caused your damages. You need to prove that you suffered actual damages due to the accident.
It is crucial to take the right steps after an accident so that you can establish negligence. These steps include gathering evidence such as police reports, witness testimonies, accident scene photographs, medical records, and any available surveillance footage.
Insurance companies don’t want to pay you for your accident damages because it costs them money. Our experienced lawyers are here to make sure you are treated fairly and get the recovery you deserve.
Value Your Accident Damages
Your damage should include past and future:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering compensation
In some cases, your compensation may also include punitive damages and wrongful death damages.
Our experienced Kansas City Uber accident attorneys will consider all of the evidence and all of your expenses to fight for your fair compensation of damages. We want to help you get back to the way things were before the Uber of Lyft accident. We understand what your case means to you and your family, and we will provide you with a candid and realistic evaluation of your Uber or Lyft accident claim.
