What to Do if You’re Injured in a Car Accident While Using Uber or Lyft

The popularity of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft has exploded throughout the country, and they’re in particular demand in larger cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The majority of miles logged by ride-sharing drivers are traveled without incident, but in some cases, a driver could be in a car accident while you’re the passenger. If this happens, you’ll need to contact a passenger injury attorney in New Orleans to help advise you, because these types of cases can be complicated.

What to Do Immediately After the Car Accident

In this blog, Mike Brandner Law’ New Orleans passenger injury attorneys explain what to do if you’re in an accident while riding in an Uber or Lyft car:

Check for injuries. Evaluate any injuries you, the driver and any other passengers have. If anyone is injured, call 911. Even if injuries seem minor, you should still seek medical attention, because they may be worse than they first appear.

Call the police. When the police respond to the scene of the accident, the officer will file a report detailing drivers’ and witness’ statements. Although inadmissible in court, these reports yield information about the driver, including his or her insurance company and policy number.

Gather information. If you can safely do so, gather as much information at the scene as you can. Take pictures, if possible, of the ride-sharing vehicle and its damage, as well as photos of any visible injuries you have.

Seek medical attention. Don’t assume that your injuries are minor and will go away on their own. You’ll need to see a doctor, because adrenaline from the trauma of the accident can mask pain. In addition, pain in some injuries, such as whiplash, may not be immediately apparent.

As a Passenger in a Car Accident, Who Pays for Your Injuries?

Several different scenarios can come into play:

The ride-sharing app’s insurance. Uber provides insurance coverage for its drivers that covers riders in their vehicles. The coverage amount is at least $1 million of total liability coverage. It also covers the passenger in case another party is at fault but has no insurance or is underinsured. This cover is $1 million of total coverage for bodily injury. Lyft’s policy has a $1 million per accident limit.

The driver’s insurance. Your driver should have his or her own auto insurance, but it may need to be a commercial insurance policy or personal coverage providing specific coverage for ride-sharing in order to pay off.

Special challenges. Although Uber and Lyft carry insurance policies for their drivers, that doesn’t mean that they’ll be eager to pay out on a claim. They may try to push responsibility onto the driver’s policy, since their drivers are independent contractors, not employees. And the driver’s insurance company – assuming it’s the correct type of insurance and hasn’t lapsed – will probably try to say that the ride sharing app’s insurance is responsible.

Get Help from Our Car Accident Passenger Injury Attorney in New Orleans

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in New Orleans in which you were the passenger in a ride-sharing vehicle, contact Mike Brandner Law today. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but we’re available 24/7 to take your call at (504) 345-1111.

You can also contact us via LiveChat on our website. Our experienced passenger injury attorney in New Orleans will help you navigate your case. We offer free consults and you won’t pay a fee unless you win compensation for your injuries.