With the rise of rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, comes confusion about who is financially responsible for an accident, should one occur.
Read on to learn what you should do if you’re hurt in a rideshare accident.
Who’s Liable?
If the rideshare driver has commercial insurance, your injuries will be covered under their policy. However, this typically is not the case. Most rideshare drivers have personal coverage on their vehicles which means that passenger injuries are not covered if they occurred while the driver was using their car for business purposes.
Uber and Lyft hold third-party liability insurance coverage that compensates up to $1 million for personal injuries and property damage for an accident in which the rideshare driver is at fault. However, these policies don’t provide coverage until after the rideshare driver’s own insurance is depleted, providing the driver has the proper coverage as required by Uber and Lyft.
If another driver is responsible for the accident, you’ll need to seek damages from the driver who is at fault. There are two ways to do this:
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By opening an insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance provider; or
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Filing a personal injury lawsuit
If the driver responsible for your injuries doesn’t have sufficient coverage to pay for your damages, then the rideshare company’s uninsured/underinsured insurance coverage will kick in. However, this coverage only applies if the driver responsible for the accident isn’t known, doesn’t have insurance, or their policy doesn’t have enough funding to cover the cost of your injuries.
If none of the above avenues of compensation work for you, you may need to go after the ridesharing company itself, however, this should be a last resort.
Who Can I Call For Help?
Our attorneys here at Benoit Law Firm, PLLC are highly skilled in these matters and have helped many other people just like you attain the compensation they deserved. Don’t hesitate to contact our firm with your case right away.
Call the Charlotte lawyers at Benoit Law Firm, PLLC today at (877) 600-7212 to speak with an attorney about your personal injury case.