The rideshare industry was built in San Francisco, and today, millions of people around the world rely on services like Uber and Lyft to travel from place to place. While these services position themselves as a safe transportation option, serious accidents can occur involving rideshare vehicles. If you are injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft, you can sustain severe injuries and losses—and you may wonder about your options for compensation.
Navigating an Uber or Lyft accident claim can be complicated, but the attorneys at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle can help. Our San Francisco rideshare accident lawyers have significant experience representing injured rideshare victims throughout the Bay Area, and we will work diligently to secure the compensation you deserve.
Like other types of motor vehicle collisions, accidents involving rideshare vehicles can result in very serious injuries. In some cases, these injuries require long-term medical care and specialized treatment, such as rehabilitation or physical therapy. This can result in thousands of dollars in medical expenses, physical pain, and emotional trauma.
Some of the most common rideshare accident injuries include the following.
Like most states, California follows a fault-based system when it comes to car accidents. Drivers who are responsible for collisions must pay for their victims’ damages. All California drivers must carry minimum amounts of liability insurance to uphold this financial responsibility.
When it comes to rideshare accidents, these liability rules still apply. Multiple parties may be liable for your damages following an Uber or Lyft collision, depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident.
To determine your optimal path to compensation, you will first need to identify how the accident happened. Your attorney from Choulos, Choulos & Wyle will conduct a full investigation into your accident to help you determine the cause of the accident and the liable party.
Most car accident claims begin and resolve in the insurance stage and progress to a lawsuit if necessary. Many insurance policies have a provision that prevents compensation if the driver was using his or her vehicle for commercial purposes. As a result, it is very likely that the driver’s personal insurance may deny your initial claim if he or she was transporting a passenger at the time of accident.
At this stage, you can choose to file a lawsuit against the driver or file a claim under insurance policies offered by Uber and Lyft. Since Uber and Lyft consider their drivers to be independent contractors, not employees, you are unable to file a lawsuit against these companies directly.
These companies offer similar liability insurance coverage to their drivers, which kicks in when the driver causes an accident and his or her insurance policy denies the victim’s claim.
If you plan on filing an insurance claim or lawsuit after a rideshare accident, you need an attorney on your side. Your Uber and Lyft accident attorney at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle can provide several important benefits to your claim, including the following.
Have you been injured in a San Francisco rideshare accident? In these situations, you may be eligible for financial compensation—and the attorneys at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle can help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your legal options with a San Francisco rideshare accident attorney.
