Many victims assume that rideshare companies foot the bill for accidents. While their insurance payouts might cover some damages, you may need extra compensation, and our lawyers can help you get it
How much Uber and Lyft pay for accidents depends on the scenario. If the driver was en route and had a passenger, rideshare insurance could pay up to $1 million. If that is not enough to cover all medical damages, lost wages, and non-economic damages, victims may sue negligent drivers.
Call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s Uber and Lyft rideshare accident lawyers for a free case evaluation at (617) 925-6407.
Do Uber and Lyft Cover Damages from Rideshare Accidents?
Uber and Lyft have insurance in case of accidents. Coverage limits depend on the accident scenario and may not cover all damages.
Uber and Lyft try to protect themselves from lawsuits by hiring independent contractors. While employers are liable for acts of regular employees, it’s harder to sue them for acts of independent contractors. Because of this, injured riders typically sue at-fault drivers if they need more compensation.
Proving Fault for Rideshare Accidents in Fall River
After a crash, we can help determine if the rideshare driver or someone else is fully to blame or shares fault. If several drivers and vehicles are involved, we can get clarifying photos and videos for the jury.
Additionally, we can interview any eyewitnesses. Passengers might have been looking down at their phones during impact, making it hard to say what happened. Other eyewitnesses can state what either driver did wrong. They can also testify if your case goes to trial.
Many rideshare drivers have cameras in cars for safety purposes. We can contact the driver to get this footage, as it might be relevant to your case. If your lawsuit is against them, they may not easily hand over footage. We can get footage and other evidence from the defendant through a process called “discovery” after we file.
We can get other footage, too, like from business or home security cameras near the crash site. Clear footage showing the at-fault driver running a red light, speeding, or tailgating is excellent evidence.
Ways to Document Fall River Uber and Lyft Rideshare Accidents
Document the accident by calling the police, even if the rideshare driver or another party tries to discourage you. Police officers can put everyone’s information in an accident report, along with crash details.
We can help get accident reports from the Fall River Police Department later. We will look for anything that might help or complicate your claim. For example, officers may record eyewitnesses’ phone numbers, making it easier to contact them.
Crash reports contain other useful information, like weather conditions, road conditions, time of day, property damage, injuries to victims, and more.
You can also document the accident with photos. We will review any photos you took of vehicles, debris, nearby road signs, or other details.
We can also help report the accident to the rideshare company, likely through the app, and guide you through talking with their representatives.
Serious Injury Threshold for Uber and Lyft Rideshare Accident Lawsuits
Massachusetts restricts when victims can file lawsuits for non-economic damages after car accidents, including Uber and Lyft accidents. Non-economic damages are intangible losses, like mental anguish, emotional distress, and physical pain.
You qualify after incurring more than $2,000 in medical expenses or suffering a “serious injury,” like death, whole or partial loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, hearing or sight loss, or a fracture.
If you do not have a serious injury or incur enough medical damages as a passenger, you can only get compensation from the driver’s insurance, not a lawsuit. If you’re a rideshare passenger, this would be the rideshare company’s insurance. While this can pay some medical bills, lost wages, and non-economic damages, you might keep incurring losses, especially if you suffer permanent injuries.
Since most visits to the emergency room cost more than $2,000 our Uber and Lyft rideshare accident lawyers can likely seek non-economic damages for you.
Filing Deadlines for Fall River Uber and Lyft Accident Lawsuits
You have three years to file a lawsuit after a rideshare accident, which seems like plenty of time. Bad injuries can take your attention away from a lawsuit, and we can ensure you file on time.
We may need all three years to prepare your case, so contact us straight after your accident. We can help get the accident report, preserve eyewitnesses’ statements, and get other evidence that might be lost with time, like video footage.
There are some exceptions to the statute of limitations, like if the at-fault driver is a non-resident of Massachusetts. We can see if any apply to your case, especially if it has been close to three years since the accident.
Damages You Can Get After Uber and Lyft Accidents
Victims can get paid for all medical expenses after Uber and Lyft accidents. This includes future hospital bills if you need more surgeries or follow-up appointments. We can keep track of medical bills and get physicians to testify about upcoming expenses.
Physicians’ testimonies can also explain why you cannot return to work. Income records and tax returns prove past wages and how much you have lost since the accident.
If an Uber or Lyft driver hit you while you were driving, you can also recover property damage costs.
Different factors affect victims’ non-economic damages, like their age and if they sustained a permanent injury. We can prepare you to testify about your pain and suffering in court and can have mental health experts you have confided in also testify.
Massachusetts does not cap compensatory damages in personal injury lawsuits for car accidents.
Call Our Fall River Attorneys to Discuss a Rideshare Accident
Call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for help from our Uber and Lyft rideshare accident lawyers.