In the last few years, the popularity of ridesharing mobile applications has skyrocketed. Since its inception, ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber have completed 11 billion journeys in the U. S. In one recent year, Uber alone completed 4.98 billion rides.
Ridesharing businesses emphasize safety as a top priority. However, accidents are unavoidable, with scores of automobiles on the road each day. Since the debut of ridesharing applications, road fatalities have grown by 3 percent.
If you are involved in a rideshare accident and sustain injuries in Peoria, we can help you get the compensation you deserve. The Peoria ridesharing lawyers at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys understand the physical, financial, and psychological stress a car accident can bring.
You can talk to our attorneys about how your accident happened and who might be to blame. We can then inquire into the accident and the events leading up to it to determine who caused it and build a strong case to recover the compensation you deserve.
What to Do After a Ridesharing Accident
As passengers, we place our confidence in our drivers to transport us to our destinations safely. Vehicle accidents happen each day in the United States, sadly. The first step you should take is to ensure everyone in the car is safe and sound. Next, make sure you and everyone else in the vehicle aren’t in any danger.
When a rideshare accident occurs, it is critical to acquire as many details as possible.
This includes:
- The name of your ridesharing driver.
- Names of other passengers.
- The number on the license plate.
- Insurance information.
- Names of the streets where the accident occurred
- Any eyewitness’ contact details.
- The specific model of the automobiles that engaged in the collision.
- Submit a police statement.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible after a car collision. If you wait too long to seek medical help, linking your injuries to a vehicle accident may be difficult.
The treatment for apparent, uncomplicated, and minor injuries, such as a broken arm, is relatively straightforward. Head trauma, whiplash, spinal disc problems, and mental and emotional damage caused by a rideshare accident can be difficult to diagnose just after an accident. These conditions can have serious, long-term detrimental consequences for your health that may not show up for a long time. Always embrace a physician’s instructions until the treatment concludes.
Keep copies of all interactions between you and the medical practitioners and receipts.
If you’re in an accident, get medical help right away, and keep a close eye on your health and mental state in the days/weeks following the accident for any extra negative consequences. Keep an eye out for indicators of trauma, including pain, nausea, dizziness, and other body complications that may occur later.
As you recover, our ridesharing accident lawyers can assist you and submit your complaint on your behalf.
In addition to these steps, without first consulting an attorney:
- Never make a declaration.
- Never apologize or accept responsibility.
- Never sign documents or take a cash settlement without first consulting an attorney.
How Can an Attorney Help After a Rideshare Accident?
Following a car accident, monetary compensation will help you pay medical bills and replace months of lost income that you sorely require. Here’s a rundown of how Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can assist you in getting the compensation you deserve:
Investigate the Situation Thoroughly
Examine your Injuries to see if you are Entitled to Full and Reasonable Compensation
Create a Compelling Case to Present at Trial
Who Compensates You if You Involved in a Ridesharing Accident?
To receive compensation in any vehicle accident case, even one restricted to the insurance claim procedure, the person filing the claim must prove two things: culpability and damages. If you’re in a car accident with another motorist who was to blame, you can begin by submitting a third-party dispute with the other driver’s insurance company.
When the other motorist is driving for a living, though, things might get more complex. The driver’s automobile insurance policy will often not cover the collision unless the driver has a business policy or has obtained a ridesharing approval.
Uber and Lyft provide liability insurance to their drivers, which kicks in if the driver’s insurance company declines the claim.
So, legal duty aside, you can usually hold Uber or Lyft financially liable for your vehicle accident injuries if you’re in an accident with one of its drivers.
Can I Sue a Ridesharing Company in Peoria?
In the case of an accident, you have the right to sue a rideshare service. However, there are a few things to consider. Even if you accept terms and conditions when you first start using these sorts of rideshare companies, they do not absolve the company of liability in the case of an accident. If a driver’s recklessness causes physical damage or mental distress, you may hold both the driver and the firm that employs them liable.
Must Rideshare Companies Provide insurance?
Several lawsuits have been filed against Uber and Lyft asserting liability in rider accidents in the past years. Both businesses currently offer coverage for drivers who are signed in and operating at the time of an accident.
When a driver confirms a ride request, the insurance cover is triggered. Uber and Lyft’s insurance covers up to $1 million in damages.
The compensation is decreased to $500,000 if the car is signed in and has not confirmed any ride requests.
Peoria Ridesharing Car Accident Statute of Limitations
According to the statute of limitations, anyone harmed in an Illinois car accident has two years from the car accident date to bring a case.
What occurs if you don’t file your case before the time limit? The court will reject your initial claim if you submit it more than two years after the accident unless a rare exemption exists to extend the time.
Common Rideshare Accidents Causes
Uber and Lyft vehicle accidents can occur for many reasons. Distracted driving is one of the most common reasons for ridesharing accidents. A ridesharing driver can quickly become distracted, especially if the driver works for different rideshare businesses on multiple phones.
Speeding, reckless driving, drunk driving, weariness, traffic violations, road rage, and climate conditions can all contribute to rideshare accidents.
Are Rideshare Accidents Common?
A survey from the University of Chicago reveals that:
- Ridesharing services now dominate a significant percentage of the transport industry in Illinois and the United States in general, and accidents have been progressively increasing.
- Nearly 1,000 people die in car accidents every day due to the increased number of rideshare vehicles.
- Between 2017 and 2018, Uber cars were in 97 fatal crashes, killing 107 people.
- The rider was involved in 21 percent of the accidents.
- The driver was responsible for 21 percent of the accident victims.
- The other 58 percent of accident casualties were customers
It all comes down to inexperience. To work as a rideshare driver, you need to fill out some paperwork, have a vehicle in your name, and have a genuine driver’s license. Instantly, you’re authorized to drive people from sunrise to sunset, with no one paying attention to your safety precautions.
Some ridesharing companies require their drivers to meet specific requirements, some more thorough than others. Ridesharing companies typically exclude criminals with a history of harmful behavior, but even persons who previously engaged in careless driving behaviors may work as they wish.
Why Choose Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys?
Our firm works on a contingency basis to keep your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum. We will never charge any attorney fees unless we successfully achieve compensation on your behalf.
Our firm believes in clear open communication throughout the personal injury claims phase. Our injury attorneys are always available to answer your concerns and assist you in planning for each stage of your case.
Consult a Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Rideshare Accident Attorney in Peoria
You have a fair presumption of safety when you contact an Uber or comparable rideshare service. These businesses owe a duty to their clients to keep them safe and comfortable. When that sense of security shatters, it’s tough to know where to go.
The Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys team of ridesharing attorneys is ready to help, whether it means filing a lawsuit against a rideshare service like Uber, or pursuing other solutions. We’ve worked with many people who these situations hurt, and we’ve probably seen something similar to yours.
If a rideshare driver has injured you or a family member, contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys at (309) 518-1413 to learn more about the solutions we can pursue for you. You are not required to go through this on your own. We can fight to safeguard your right to claim compensation and determine who was genuinely at blame in your case so that you can proceed with your life.
