Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers in Chattanooga

Tennessee's one-year deadline in a rideshare case

Tennessee gives you just one year from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104, one of the shortest deadlines in the country. That clock matters early, because the most important proof in a rideshare case is digital and controlled by the rideshare company. The driver's app status, GPS data, and trip records sit on Uber's or Lyft's servers, and obtaining them takes formal legal demands. We start that process quickly so the record of what the driver was doing is preserved.

Which insurance policy actually pays

The coverage available after a rideshare crash turns on what the driver's app was doing at the moment of impact. If the app was off, only the driver's personal policy applies. Once the app is on and the driver is waiting for a request, a limited contingent policy applies, and from the moment a ride is accepted until the passenger is dropped off, a much larger commercial policy is in force. Uber and Lyft do not volunteer which one applies. We obtain the driver's dispatch logs and app timestamps to establish the driver's status and unlock the correct coverage.

How Tennessee's fifty percent rule affects your recovery

Under the rule from McIntyre v. Balentine, you recover nothing if you are found fifty percent or more at fault, and your recovery is reduced by your share below that line. In a rideshare crash the fault may involve the rideshare driver, another motorist, or both, and each insurer tries to shift blame onto someone else. Passengers are almost never at fault, which gives an injured passenger a strong claim, and we build the case on the physical evidence and the app data. The most seriously injured are treated at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, the region's only Level I trauma center.

When a rideshare trip crosses the Georgia line

Chattanooga borders Georgia, and a rideshare trip can begin downtown and end in a Georgia suburb like Rossville or Fort Oglethorpe. Where the crash happened generally decides which state's law governs, and a wreck on the Georgia side is subject to Georgia law and its two-year deadline rather than Tennessee's one year. We determine exactly where the collision occurred and apply the law that protects your claim.

Serving rideshare passengers across Southeast Tennessee

Rideshare injury claims are handled by our team throughout the Chattanooga area, across Hamilton, Bradley, Marion, Sequatchie, Rhea, and Bledsoe counties. We serve people injured in Chattanooga, Cleveland, East Ridge, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain, Collegedale, Ooltewah, and Hixson.

Reporting and filing your rideshare claim

A rideshare crash inside the city is reported to the Chattanooga Police Department, one in the unincorporated county to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, and a wreck on I-24 or I-75 to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. We obtain the correct report along with your records from Erlanger, and when a case must be litigated, we file in Hamilton County Circuit Court.

Speak with a Chattanooga uber & lyft accident attorney

Dealing with a rideshare company's insurer while a one-year clock runs takes experienced local counsel. Call (844) 876-4357 for a free evaluation of your case. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Common questions

My Uber started downtown but the crash happened after we crossed into Georgia. Which law applies?

Generally the law of the state where the crash occurred governs, not where the trip began. A collision on the Georgia side is subject to Georgia law and its two-year deadline rather than Tennessee's one year, and we determine exactly where it happened to apply the correct rules.

The rideshare driver asked me not to call the police. What should I do?

Call the police anyway. A formal crash report is what documents the wreck and triggers the correct insurance coverage. Declining that report can leave you with no official record when you need one.

How do you prove what the driver's app was doing when the crash happened?

We issue formal demands to the rideshare company for the trip and app-status data tied to the exact time of the crash. That record shows whether the driver was offline, waiting for a request, or on an active trip, which determines the coverage available to you.