Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft have become more popular than standard taxi services. They are a convenient and often cheaper way of getting around the city. However, just as with any other modern convenience, there are some risks attached to using ridesharing services. If you have been injured as a passenger, pedestrian or motorist in an accident involving a ridesharing vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury.
Our skilled lawyers, such as our pedestrian accident attorneys in Chicago can help you find out if you have a claim as a pedestrian injured by an Uber or Lyft. However, cases involving rideshare vehicles can be complex because of the way they operate. While rideshare drivers are independent contractors responsible for their actions, rideshare companies also owe a duty to protect their customers. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident with a rideshare vehicle like Uber or Lyft, let the experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers at Smith LaCien LLP help you make sense of your situation and get the financial compensation you need to cover your damages. Contact us today to schedule a free case consultation.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a rideshare accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, we can help you hold the responsible parties accountable for your damages. Every case at Smith LaCien LLP starts with a free, no-obligation consultation, and personal injury claims are handled on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing if your case does not yield results. Take the first step and call (312) 509-8900 to schedule your free consultation.
Passengers appreciate the comfort, privacy, and convenience of a ride that appears after a simple swipe of a smartphone app. Fortunately, the vast majority of rideshare experiences transpire without incident but it only takes a single accident to send a passenger’s or involved motorist’s life spinning off course. A University of Chicago study indicates an overall increase in traffic accidents by three percent since the rise of the rideshare industry. Common causes of Uber & Lyft accidents include the following:
Driver error, negligence, or recklessness are the most common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents in Chicago; however, an investigation sometimes determines other parties at fault such as another driver, a negligent road maintenance agency, or the manufacturer of a defective auto part.
Rideshare drivers are often aggressive or may speed to accomplish their goals of completing as many paying rides as possible per driving shift. Common types of accidents involving Uber and Lyft vehicles in Chicago include the following:
Under the fault-based insurance laws in Illinois, a car accident victim must prove another party’s liability to recover compensation for their damages, including property damage and injury expenses. An experienced Chicago Uber and Lyft accident attorney investigates all aspects of the accident and documents compelling evidence before negotiating for the maximum compensation available.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, you may be wondering who is responsible for your injuries and damages. Is the driver responsible or is it the rideshare company’s responsibility? Generally, because rideshare drivers are not employees of the ride-share company, they are responsible for any damages resulting from their negligence or wrongdoing. However, there may be circumstances where the ride-share company or its insurance company may be held responsible for its failure to protect its customers. The experienced Chicago truck accident attorneys at Smith LaCien can help you in the case of a truck accident while in an Uber or Lyft.
Every rideshare driver is required to have the minimum auto insurance coverage for their vehicle in addition to the supplemental insurance policies that the rideshare companies provide. When the rideshare driver is off the rideshare platform or offline, they are covered by their personal vehicle insurance. When they are available on the platform, waiting for a ride request, en route to pick up riders, or transporting riders, they are covered by the rideshare company’s supplemental insurance.
The insurance policy limits will vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident. Your Chicago Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can assess your case and determine who is responsible for your damages, whether it be an individual rideshare driver or an insurance company, and how to recover your compensation from them.
If your loved one lost their life in a rideshare accident, our wrongful death attorneys in Chicago can help guide you through the legal process.
Because rideshare companies protect themselves from direct liability by using independent contractors as drivers rather than employees, they are rarely named successfully in lawsuits. Instead, Uber and Lyft companies maintain that they merely supply apps for connecting drivers with passengers. Instead, they require their contracted drivers to carry special ridesharing insurance with different payment levels depending on the stage of the rideshare when an accident occurs. This complex system works on the following structure:
Because rideshare insurance coverage is complex and multi-leveled, insurance companies often point fingers at other policies and dispute claims. It requires an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the accident and which policy was in place when the accident occurred.
Injuries in rideshare accident claims range from mild, inconvenient injuries with damages that include only a single emergency room bill and a few days of lost pay, to adverse-life altering disability or wrongful death. Common injuries in Uber and Lyft accident claims include:
If a loved one suffered fatal injuries as a passenger in a rideshare vehicle or in a collision caused by an Uber or Lyft driver, a close family member could recover compensation through a Chicago wrongful death claim.
After an accident, some injury victims are incapacitated and forced to rely solely on emergency services at the accident scene, but others who are able to safely use a cell phone without causing further injury can take steps at the accident scene to protect themselves physically and financially. After an Uber or Lyft accident in Chicago, do the following:
Eyewitnesses to car accidents are often the key to a successful compensation claim, especially when an accident happens in a location without traffic cameras or nearby surveillance cameras.
Always go directly to a hospital or urgent care center after any car accident, including an Uber or Lyft accident. This not only ensures you receive the emergency injury treatment you need but also provides critical evidence that your injuries occurred in the rideshare accident so the insurance company doesn’t dispute your claim.
Injuries are painful and can be temporarily or permanently life-altering. They also require expensive medical care and long recovery times. Common damages recovered in Uber or Lyft accident claims in Chicago include the following:
If a loved one died in an accident caused by an Uber or Lyft driver, the surviving family could recover wrongful death benefits such as the remaining income the deceased loved one would have earned had they survived the injury, plus compensation for grief and anguish.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident with a rideshare vehicle, you need the services of a skilled accident lawyer to help you recover full compensation for your damages. The dedicated Chicago rideshare accident lawyers at Smith LaCien LLP have successfully recovered damages for people like you who have been injured in automobile accidents. We understand how important it is for you to get the compensation you deserve and use our best resources to ensure that we protect your interests.
We offer free, no-obligation consultations to Lyft and Uber accident victims and their families. We also handle cases on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay us anything unless we obtain results. To learn more about how we can help, call our Chicago rideshare accident lawyers at (312) 509-8900 or contact us using our online form.