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How To Find The Right Accident Lawyer In Los Angeles
If you have been injured in an accident involving an Uber driver, you have important legal rights that must be protected. Uber accidents are a developing area of law, with legal issues surrounding this new technology.
Navigating the claims process can be difficult, as issues may arise, such as disputes over liability, low settlement offers, delays, and denial of claims. Our Los Angeles Uber accident lawyers at Arash Law are ready to assist you in navigating these complexities, so you can focus on getting better.
Our experienced auto accident attorneys have handled injury claims for many years, including those involving Uber and other rideshare services like Lyft. We advocate for the rights of accident victims to help them pursue compensation for their injuries.
What Should I Do After An Uber Accident?
After an accident, your first priority should be the immediate safety of everyone on the scene. It is vital to get out of the path of oncoming traffic. Other drivers might not be paying attention.
This inattention can lead to secondary accidents, and if this occurs, you want to be far away from the vehicles that were involved in either crash. Help others get out of the car if they need assistance. If you are unsure whether someone can be safely moved, ask the 911 operator if you should move them or wait for help. Be sure ambulances are called for anyone who needs immediate medical attention.
It is also essential to be sure that law enforcement responds to the scene. Many drivers panic when they hear about “the police.” A driver might try to talk you into not calling the police or assure you that their insurance will “take care of everything.”
Handling things this way does not protect your legal rights. Even if the driver has insurance information, you have no way of knowing whether the policy is active or if there is coverage available to pay for your injuries. If you have been hit by someone who has no insurance, you may need to report the incident to the police. Driving without insurance is a legal violation, and law enforcement may investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Even if everything seems fine on the scene, keep a copy of the police report. A police report can serve as evidence, providing an official record of the incident. Insurance companies usually believe that a police report is more objective than other evidence (such as statements from the drivers who were involved in a collision).
An insurance company will often not accept that its driver was at fault unless the driver admits fault or a police report finds that the driver was at fault. Obtaining a police report can be a helpful step in documenting the circumstances of the accident and supporting your claim.
Once you have finished with the first responders on the scene, you should consider your medical needs. Many injury victims leave the scene of an accident in an ambulance. If you choose not to, you should still see a doctor as soon as possible.
Find an emergency department or urgent care facility that is not too far from the scene of the accident. Even if you do not think you are injured, it is crucial to let a qualified medical professional assess your injuries. Some injuries do not show up right away.
Internal bleeding might not be evident to you until it has gone on for hours, by which time it could be too late to get medical care. Brain injuries can also present with few symptoms at first, but quickly develop into a life-threatening condition in the hours after an accident.
Only a medical professional has the training and equipment necessary to determine whether you have, in fact, been injured in a car accident.
Finally, if you are a passenger in an Uber that crashes, it is essential to save information about the ride. Screenshot or keep the ride information in the Uber app. Uber also allows riders to report accidents directly to their company.
You can do this online, through the app, or over the phone. You can also let your injury lawyer handle this for you so that you do not accidentally say anything that could hurt your claim.
If it is safe to do so, you might want to get photos or videos of the accident scene. Do not step into traffic or get in the way of emergency workers, and do not worry about this if your injuries do not allow you to move around. But this evidence can sometimes be helpful in Uber accident cases.
How Do I Find An Uber Accident Lawyer For My Claim?
There are many auto accident lawyers in the greater Los Angeles area. Not all of these lawyers will actively take a role in protecting your legal rights. Some of them do not have the experience necessary to deal with the legal issues presented by an accident involving an Uber. Here are some important factors to consider when looking for an Uber lawyer:
- What is the attorney’s education and training?
- Does the attorney have experience with auto accident cases?
- Has the attorney handled accidents involving Uber or other rideshare services?
- Has this lawyer handled cases involving similar injuries to yours?
- What is the lawyer’s strategy for managing your particular case?
- Do you feel comfortable with this person protecting your legal rights?
Who Is Responsible For An Uber Accident?
The person who is legally at fault (“liable”) for causing an accident has a legal obligation to compensate victims of that accident for their injuries and losses. For this reason, your car accident lawyers must assess liability.
In some cases, the Uber driver might not have been at fault at all. Depending on the circumstances of your case, your lawyer might file a claim against the liable driver or other third parties who are legally at fault (such as the driver’s employer that owned the vehicle).
If, however, you are struck by an Uber, there are several different individuals and companies that can be held liable. Uber requires its drivers to carry their own personal auto insurance policies on their vehicles. The company then also provides supplemental auto insurance that can apply if the driver’s policy limits do not cover all of the victim’s losses.
Uber’s insurance is a large, commercial policy with high limits. Passengers and third parties who are injured by an Uber driver can access up to one million dollars of supplemental insurance coverage through this policy, depending on whether the driver was on duty at the time. Of course, this only applies if the Uber driver is liable for the accident. It is important to note that the policy limit acts as a maximum cap on coverage. A victim may only recover the estimated value of their actual, proven damages, not necessarily the full limit.
For this reason, it is crucial to let an experienced Uber accident attorney review your case and help you seek compensation for your injuries.
What Compensation Is Available In An Uber Accident Claim?
When someone else’s negligence causes an accident, injury victims may be able to seek compensation for their losses. These damages can include tangible losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. It also includes intangible losses, such as pain and suffering, depending on the specific circumstances.
Pain and suffering can be a significant part of a personal injury claim, but it is often subjective and challenging to establish. Because of this, insurance companies may closely scrutinize or dispute these claims.
They may suggest that you are exaggerating your discomfort, or that you are still able to work despite your pain, or that a jury might not award substantial damages for your pain and suffering. If you have questions about the value of your claim, consider consulting with an attorney who can assess your damages and determine the potential value of your case.
Some injuries are permanent. They might leave you unable to participate in your favorite hobbies, like an amateur sports league or hiking. You might have discomfort and pain that persists for years.
You might be unable to return to work for months or years – if at all. These permanent injuries cause very real losses that can continue for years. Your Uber accident lawyer can document and present evidence of these future losses to support your claim for compensation based on the facts of your case.
Just How Dangerous Are Ubers?
So, just how dangerous are rideshare vehicles? Is it more dangerous to ride in an Uber than to take your own car? Tech Crunch reviewed accident statistics provided by Uber. At first glance, the numbers seemed encouraging: Uber reported just 97 fatal crashes causing 107 deaths in 2017 and 2018. This data averaged to 0.59 fatalities per hundred million miles traveled in 2017 and 0.57 fatalities per hundred million miles traveled in 2018.
These statistics were about half of the national average of 1.26 fatalities per hundred million miles traveled. But these statistics are provided directly from Uber – and they leave out some critical data that would give a more accurate picture of Uber’s safety records.
First, these statistics make no mention at all of the accidents that are not fatal. This means that Uber has provided no information about how often its vehicles are involved in accidents or the number of people who suffer non-fatal injuries in Uber vehicles each year.
Second, the Uber statistics only included accidents that occurred while a driver either had a passenger or was traveling to pick one up. Uber drivers spend a significant amount of time driving around, waiting for fares, and traveling to destinations where riders are likely to request service (such as airports and concert venues). The statistics provided by Uber give us absolutely no information about how many accidents and injuries are caused by their drivers while they are traveling these many miles.
So how dangerous are Uber vehicles? It’s difficult to say from the information provided by Uber itself. And like any research, it will take time to accrue a significant body of data that allows scientists to draw accurate conclusions about the safety of the technology. In the meantime, riders must understand that they face the risk of injury any time they ride in any vehicle – including an Uber or other rideshare service vehicle.
Is It More Difficult To Pursue Compensation In An Uber Accident Case?
Because rideshare technology is relatively new, there are still many unsettled questions of law in this area. Lawyers are still battling critical fights in court, and different courts are answering these questions differently. Here are just some of the unanswered legal problems that might come up in an auto accident case involving an Uber:
- Can Uber be held liable for injuries caused by a negligent driver who is operating as an independent contractor?
- How will liability change as drivers fight to be classified as employees (not independent contractors) by the courts?
- Can Uber be held liable for its own negligence in allowing an unsafe driver to operate as a driver on its platform?
- What is the extent of Uber’s liability for accidents involving its self-driving cars? Is this answer different if there is a human driver in the vehicle as a safety backup?
These and many other questions could require your lawyer to research new areas of law and make new arguments that have never before been presented to a court. Our rideshare accident lawyers at Arash Law are prepared to advocate for the legal rights of injury victims and assist them in pursuing compensation for the injuries and losses they sustain due to the crash.
Reach Out To Our Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyers
You don’t have to spend hours searching the internet for “Los Angeles Uber accident lawyers near me. You can find Uber accident lawyers in Los Angeles at Arash Law. Our skilled auto accident lawyers have decades of experience handling rideshare accident cases, helping victims file a claim against the at-fault parties.
We represent clients in California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, Sherman Oaks, and more. We are dedicated to representing the interests of accident victims, whether you’re a Californian or just visiting the state. You can contact us online or call (888) 488-1391. You may also complete our “Do I Have A Case?” form here to schedule your free initial consultation.
We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay us attorney’s fees if your case results in a settlement or a verdict. With that said, certain case-related costs may be the client’s responsibility, regardless of the outcome.
