Uber & Lyft Accidents In Birmingham, Alabama
Know Before You Rideshare!
Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing services have made getting around Birmingham nice and convenient, but when you’re involved in an accident with a rideshare vehicle or as a passenger in one, life can get complicated real fast. Our personal injury attorneys in the Morris Bart, LLC, Birmingham office have put together some facts to help you navigate a rideshare accident claim:
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Who’s Responsible? It Depends!
Get to know Uber’s and Lyft’s insurance policies!
Uber and Lyft operate using independent contractors instead of employees, which means their drivers typically have both personal liability and commercial automobile insurance policies on their vehicles. So which policy gets the claim? It depends on the activity of the driver. If you’re involved in an accident with an Uber or Lyft vehicle, the first step is to identify whether the driver was performing duties related to the service. For instance, if a driver is off-duty (not transporting or on their way to or from a passenger) and involved in an accident, their personal automobile policy is probably responsible for the resulting damages.
Rideshare Company Liability: Passengers In The Mix
If the accident occurs during the time an Uber or Lyft driver has accepted a ride through the service until the time a rider is dropped off, a claim can typically be made against the company. Uber and Lyft both provide liability protection for passengers who are injured in an accident. In addition, each provides underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage in the event a driver who causes the accident does not have insurance or has inadequate insurance to cover the injuries.
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Driver Status: It’s complicated.
The situation can get confusing when a driver is between trips but is available to accept riders. Company coverage might kick in when a driver is in between trips, but only when the driver’s personal policy does not provide for injuries to the passenger. For example, let’s say you are rear ended by an Uber vehicle on a Birmingham street. The driver had no Uber passenger, but was on the clock at the time of the accident. If the Uber driver’s personal policy company denies liability or does not have enough coverage for your injuries, then Uber’s policies will kick into effect.
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Riding Is Convenient. Making A Claim, Not So Much.
Once you’ve gotten over the initial hurdle of figuring out who may be responsible, the next step is to know how to handle the claim. Setting up claims with Uber or Lyft may be met with a denial of liability. These companies may try to sidestep your claim and injuries, placing blame on anyone other than themselves. They could try to tell you that you need to go through your own insurance when you did not even cause the accident to begin with. What’s worse, they might try to drag out the process until you are exhausted and fed up with the whole thing.
Morris Bart Birmingham Attorneys Are Insurance Claim Experts
Dealing with an accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver in Birmingham can get a lot easier if you have a good attorney. Morris Bart Personal Injury Attorneys of Birmingham have decades of experience dealing with the complexities of insurance claims and car accidents. If you’ve been involved in an accident through no fault of your own with an Uber or Lyft car or as a rideshare customer, call Morris Bart Birmingham for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7, and we’d like to help you get the money you may deserve.
For a recap on how to handle a rideshare accident with Lyft, Uber, or any other ridesharing app, read this accident checklist.
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