More people are involved in Uber accidents with each passing year. That is due to the growth of ridesharing companies across the country. That means that more ride sharing services accident cases happen each year as well.
Because of this increase in ridesharing accidents, my friends and family will ask me quite often, what should I do if I’ve been involved in a car accident involving an Uber?
Call the Police after an Uber Accident
Many times, when people are involved in an accident, they simply want to exchange information and get on to their destination. However, to not have a police report made is a mistake. While Florida law technically makes it a “no-fault” state, you should get a crash report from law enforcement for a number of reasons.
One reason for this is that crash reports seek to define what happened in the crash. The police officer will speak to all the parties involved, assess the scene of the crash and the property damage, and draft a narrative to go into their report on the crash. The importance of this narrative cannot be understated.
Having a defined story of what took place in the crash will help eliminate future liability disputes. While the crash report itself is often not admissible in court, at a minimum having one will ground the other driver in what their story about what happened in the crash is. The driver that caused the accident will be hard-pressed to change their story after they’ve given it to the police.
Additionally, the crash report will ensure you have the at-fault driver’s insurance information. This information is vital in determining the at-fault driver’s available insurance coverages. As you may recall from my previous discussions, if the other driver doesn’t have bodily injury coverage, we cannot make a claim for injuries against their insurance policy.
Take Pictures of the Vehicles involved in an Uber Accident
It should be second nature for people to take photographs of the damage to their vehicle after an accident. Additionally, very few accident victims ever think to take pictures of the car that hit them.
Yet, on many occasions my clients rely on the insurance company to take photos of the damage to their vehicle. However, insurance companies are not seeking to serve their insured’s best interests.
Instead, when insurance companies provide photographs of damage to a vehicle, the photos are often of low quality. This way, your accident attorney will have less evidence to prove the severity of your crash. Insurance companies know that juries will view severe property damage favorably and minimal property damage unfavorably. Therefore, they will attempt to show your property damage in the least impressive light possible.
The bright side is that if you contact a personal injury attorney quickly after the accident, the attorney can help you take photographs of the damage to your vehicle. An experienced personal injury attorney knows the importance of high-quality photographs of the property damage in an accident claim.
Seek Medical Attention after a Ridesharing Accident
I’ve previously discussed the importance of seeking medical attention after a car accident. When an accident involves an Uber, medical treatment is no less important. Potential injury victims should be more eager to go to a hospital or an urgent care following a ridesharing accident.
Uber and Lyft drivers have insurance, whereas many drivers in Florida do not. Therefore, the fear many injury victims have that there won’t be insurance available to pay for their treatment is unfounded in an Uber or Lyft accident.
Additionally, a trained medical professional, whether at a hospital, an urgent care, a primary care, or chiropractic office will best be able to determine your injuries in an auto accident. Injury victims need documentation of their pain and objective imaging of their actual injuries to prove their personal injury case.
What Can I Recover in an Ridesharing Accident Case?
A personal injury claimant that has been injured by an Uber driver can recover all of the same economic and non-economic damages as any other personal injury victim. This means they can collect for their medical bills, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress.
Hire an Experience Uber Accident Attorney Today
Knapp Accident & Injury Law has years of experience handling ridesharing accident cases. If you or someone you love has been injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft, or due to the negligence of an Uber or Lyft driver, we are available to help you.
We know how to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries, pain, and suffering. We are available to answer you call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call us at (813) 568-3724.
