Filing a lawsuit or an insurance claim for an Uber or Lyft accident can be daunting. Not only are there the typical issues with a car accident claim – proving fault, calculating damages, etc. – but there are additional issues based on the fact that there was an Uber or Lyft driver involved.
For help getting the compensation you need after an Uber or Lyft accident, you should work with our experienced Hattiesburg, MS Uber and Lyft accident lawyers. We can help you determine how to file your claims, when a lawsuit is justified, and what damages you could be entitled to. We can also help you deal with the extra issues that Uber and Lyft bring to the accident.
For a free case evaluation, contact our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident lawyers today at Howe Law. Our phone number is (844) 876-4357.
How to Handle an Uber or Lyft Accident Claim in Hattiesburg, MS
If you have been involved in previous car accidents, you might be familiar with how Mississippi’s car insurance system works. Generally, each driver carries insurance to cover other people they might injure in an accident, and you can file a lawsuit or an insurance claim against the at-fault driver after a crash. When it comes to suing and filing insurance claims for Uber and Lyft accidents specifically, things can get complex.
Who to Sue
First, it is important to understand that you usually file your lawsuit or insurance claim against the at-fault driver. If the Uber or Lyft driver was at fault for your crash, then you would file against them. If you were riding in an Uber or Lyft at the time of the crash but another driver was responsible, then you would pursue damages from that other driver instead.
Can You Sue Uber and Lyft?
Second, you cannot typically hold Uber or Lyft liable for their driver’s mistakes. Uber and Lyft both hire their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. You can usually sue an employer for their employees’ mistakes on the job, but Uber and Lyft drivers are considered self-employed under independent contractor rules, so the lawsuit stops with them.
However, Uber and Lyft might share some responsibility for a crash in their own right – though holding them liable is rare. This sometimes occurs in situations where they were negligent in hiring a driver that they should have known was too dangerous to put on the road. Check with our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident lawyers about whether this is possible in your case.
Uber and Lyft’s Insurance Policies
Third, despite the fact that Uber and Lyft are not the actual employers of these drivers, they do provide them with insurance policies to cover injuries in the event of an accident. These policies only kick in if the driver had their own driving insurance and rideshare or commercial driver’s insurance to begin with – which is a necessary requirement for them to drive for Uber or Lyft in the first place.
In addition to the coverage provided by the drivers’ policies, Lyft and Uber’s policies provide another $50,000 or $1 million in damages. The $50,000 policy kicks in if the driver was on duty but had not selected a rider yet when the crash occurred. The $1 million policy kicks in any time the driver has a rider in their car or is on the way to pick up a selected rider. Our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident attorneys can help you determine whether these policies will cover your injury case.
These policies can cover both the occupants of the vehicle (i.e., the Uber/Lyft driver and any passengers in their car) as well as others injured outside the vehicle (e.g., other drivers, bikers, pedestrians, and passengers in other cars).
Determining Fault in an Uber or Lyft Accident in Hattiesburg, MS
As mentioned above, you typically file your injury lawsuit or insurance claim against the at-fault driver. Determining who is actually at fault in your accident case can be complex, but our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident attorneys can analyze your case, help you determine fault, and file claims against the appropriate parties.
An Uber or Lyft driver is not necessarily the one at fault for an Uber or Lyft accident. In many cases, these drivers do work long hours and might be responsible for the crash if they were driving tired or if they failed to strictly follow the rules of the road after hours of work. However, it is possible that another driver could have hit your Uber/Lyft driver’s car and that both you and your driver are victims of the crash. Additionally, some crashes are caused by multiple drivers.
Typically, there must be some traffic violation or other unreasonable action behind the wheel for a driver to be at fault. Speeding, drunk driving, texting while driving, running a red light, running a stop sign, and even changing lanes without signaling can all be the cause of an accident. If multiple drivers committed violations that contributed to the crash, then each one can be held liable for their fair share of the damages.
If you were injured as a passenger, it is likely that your actions were not a contributing cause of the crash. If you were driving another car, it is possible that the defendants could accuse you of sharing partial blame, but our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident lawyers will fight to refute those claims. Even if you are partially to blame, Mississippi law allows you to claim damages from each driver for their fair share of the accident, even if that means missing out on a percentage of the damages attributed to you.
Call Our Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft Accident Attorneys Today
For a free case review, call the Hattiesburg Uber and Lyft accident attorneys at Howe Law. Call today at (844) 876-4357.
