Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have changed how many people travel, making it easy and convenient to get a ride with just a few taps on a smartphone. However, accidents can happen. If you are involved in an accident while riding in an Uber or Lyft, you may wonder whether you need a car accident lawyer to protect your recovery.
Four Ways a Kansas City Car Accident Attorney Can Help You After an Uber Accident
As you recover from your physical injuries, an experienced car accident lawyer can:
Investigate the Rideshare Crash
A Lyft or Uber accident lawyer can thoroughly investigate the cause of the crash. An experienced lawyer will know how to gather and preserve evidence such as police reports, witness statements, and medical records. They can also work with accident reconstruction experts to determine how the accident occurred and who was at fault. This information will be essential to moving on with your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
Identify the Right Defendants
The investigation may reveal that one or more parties were liable for the crash. Potential defendants include, but are not limited to:
- The Uber or Lyft driver
- The rideshare company
- Other motorists
- Vehicle manufacturers or mechanics
A skilled lawyer can identify all potential defendants and determine the extent of their liability so that you bring your car accident case against the right defendants. If you pursue compensation from the wrong defendants, the insurance company may deny your claim, or the court may dismiss your case. Accordingly, it’s essential to identify the liable parties and name them as defendants so that you can get fair compensation for your injuries.
Value Your Claim
It can be challenging to value all of your accident injuries. The insurance company wants to pay you as little as possible. Therefore, you need to know what your injuries are worth so that you can fight for your full recovery. Our experienced Kansas City car accident lawyers will assess the extent of your injuries and damages and value your past and future:
- Medical costs. Health care costs include ambulance transportation, hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, doctors’ appointments, physical therapy, and other rehabilitation therapies.
- Lost income. You may recover for your lost income if you can’t work or can’t work the same number of hours for the same income that you did before the accident. Lost income includes wages, bonuses, benefits, raises, promotions, and self-employment income.
- Out-of-pocket expenses. Any costs you incur because of the accident should be part of your recovery.
- Physical pain and emotional suffering. Physical pain and emotional suffering may be difficult to value, but they are essential to your fair recovery. An experienced lawyer will gather evidence to value your physical pain and emotional suffering financially.
Fight for Your Full and Fair Recovery
Once your claim has been investigated, the defendants have been identified, and your damages have been valued, your lawyer will fight for your recovery by:
- Communicating with insurance companies and others. No one other than your lawyer will fight for your recovery. The insurance company and defendants want to pay you as little as possible. Anything you say to an insurance adjuster or anyone else can be misconstrued and used against you. Accordingly, it’s essential to have an experienced car accident lawyer handling these communications on your behalf.
- Filing your claim. Both your insurance claim and personal injury lawsuit need to be filed with the proper documentation and in a timely manner. Failure to meet deadlines, including the statute of limitations, could prevent you from recovering damages.
- Representing you in court. Some cases do not settle. Pretrial motions and car accident trials can be complicated without the help of a skilled accident lawyer who can represent your interests and fight hard for your fair recovery.
You have too much at stake to risk representing yourself in a rideshare accident.
