Houston Rideshare Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer
If you’ve sustained injuries resulting from an Uber or Lyft ride, you most likely will need to identify whom should be liable for damages. The responsible party with be liable for paying damages to all injured parties in the accident. Fortunately, our team of competent accident attorneys specializes in handling Uber and Lyft accident cases. With an exceptional understanding of how claims for Uber and Lyft accidents work, our team can help guide you through all the options open to you in the event of an accident.
What Are The Insurance Policies For Uber And Lyft?
All Uber and Lyft drivers are required to carry car insurance wherever they may work in the United States. However, liability laws differ from state to state, as so do coverage options. Uber and Lyft give their driver’s insurance protection, even in cases of fatal accidents, but there are several conditions and disclaimers attached to these conditions. This means that Uber and Lyft only take responsibility for accidents under a strict set of circumstances.
Uber’s Insurance Policy
Uber covers up to $1 million for a single accident if a driver is on duty and fulfilling a customer request. Uber’s insurance coverage starts once the driver accepts the request of a customer and starts driving to the customer’s pick-up location. Uber’s insurance coverage also covers property damage and other damages to third-parties such as pedestrians or drivers in the event of an accident, and only when the Uber driver is established to have been at fault.
Uber also provides coverage of up to $1 million if another road user is at fault. This is inclusive of uninsured or underinsured drivers, as well as for hit-and-run accidents. Collision coverage is the other type of insurance that Uber offers. Once an accident happens either as a result of an Uber driver’s negligence or that of a third party, Uber provides coverage up to the value of the other driver’s vehicle after a deductible of $1000 is made. This applies only when the accident happens when a driver is on duty AND the driver maintains personal car insurance that includes collision coverage.
Lyft’s Insurance Policy
Lyft’s insurance policy for drivers is similar to that of Uber. The only notable exceptions are when coverage applies and when it does not apply. Lyft offers no accident coverage when a driver is not on duty. In such cases, the driver is required to use a personal insurance policy for covering the damages. In addition, Lyft insures drivers to varying degrees based on accident specifics. For example, drivers can get from between $50,000 and $100,000 per person per accident. This also includes up to $25,000 property damage coverage.
How a Houston Lawyer Will Help You Claim Uber or Lyft Accident Compensation
In case a Lyft or Uber driver gets into an accident with your car, your insurance policy may not apply, and it will be up to you to report a claim against the personal policy of the driver. Drivers in Houston always have the option of buying extra types of coverage, but it is important that you know that the more the coverage, the higher the premiums you will end up paying.
To succeed in filing a claim, a plaintiff in a Lyft or Uber case is required to prove that the accident resulted from the fault of the ride-sharing service driver. Doing this will require you to prove that the driver owed you a duty of care but did not fulfill it in some way which directly resulted in damages being sustained by you.
Unless you have a legal background, you may not be in a position to prove all of this without the help of a qualified Uber and Lyft accident attorney. This is more so because the defendant will present their own lawyers, and so will the insurance company.
A worthy Uber and Lyft accident lawyer will help you file an accident claim with regards to:
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of income
- Medical expenses
Bear in mind that Texas has a contributory negligence rule. It states that a plaintiff can recover compensation for damages even in cases where the plaintiff himself or herself partially caused the accident. In case both the defendant and the plaintiff were negligent, the jury assesses case facts so as to come up with an appropriate fault percentage for both parties.
In case the defendant has a good lawyer but you do not, the contributory negligence rule could work against you. This itself is reason enough to seek the services of a professional Uber and Lyft accident lawyer.
Houston Car Accident News
Two Rideshare Passengers Die In Traffic Accident
Two people are dead after a rideshare vehicle was split in two by a driver who blew through a stoplight over the weekend.
reports that the fatal crash happened late Saturday night, just before midnight in Houston. Sources say that a Department of Public Safety attempted to pull over a driver who ran a red light near the intersection of Jenson and Tidwell. The suspect vehicle refused to pull over and tried to elude DPS deputies by heading northbound on Jensen.
The driver of a rideshare vehicle with two passengers in the back seat of his car was attempting to make a turn at the intersection of Parker and Jensen when the suspect vehicle blew through a red light. The force of the impact of the suspect vehicle split the rideshare vehicle in half.
DPS Commander Kevin Deese told reporters in a statement:
“They [the rideshare vehicle] were not able to navigate that turn in time before the suspect vehicle entered the intersection. Caught them on the back end of the vehicle, pretty much severed the back side of the car in half. Two passengers in that vehicle were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The driver of the rideshare vehicle and the man and woman who were in the suspect vehicle were all taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash is under investigation by both the Houston Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
No further information has been released at this time.
Free Consultation! Contact Us Today To Get Started
Are you a victim of an Uber or Lyft accident and you are not sure of where to start the claim process? Share your accident details with us by calling 713-677-2159. We will pair you with a competent attorney who will give you professional advice on the best way forward. Our team of experienced legal experts has a long history of fighting car accident claim cases for our clients, and we strive to win as large a claim as possible on your behalf.
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