Dearborn Uber Rideshare Accident Attorney
Ridesharing services have become increasingly popular over the past few years, offering a new form of mobility for many. In particular, those who are visiting a city and would rather choose a rideshare option than attempt to rent a car and learn the area in a limited time frame have found Uber and Lyft services extremely helpful. Residents of a city also enjoy the benefits of rideshare services when they don’t want to deal with parking issues, or when they want to enjoy a night out with friends without worrying about driving after having a drink.
Uber and Lyft are the two primary rideshare services across the United States. According to financesonline.com, Lyft was valued at $26.5 billion in 2019, and is the second-largest ride-hailing platform in the U.S., after Uber. Lyft currently operates in 644 cities in the U.S., as well as 12 cities in Canada. In Phoenix and Detroit, Lyft has the largest market share, at 45 percent. As of 2022, there were 93 million active Uber users across the globe. About 25 percent of Americans use Uber at least once a month. As with any driver, rideshare drivers have accidents occasionally and can benefit from an Uber accident attorney.
Why Should You Choose a Dearborn Uber Rideshare Accident Attorney from the Dan Makled Law Firm?
When you choose the Dan Makled Law Firm, you are choosing a quality firm that knows the ins and outs of the insurance industry—from the way they think to the methods they use. Attorney Dan Makled is never afraid to go to trial, and actually thrives in the courtroom. Dan ensures he is always one hundred percent prepared for any eventuality through a comprehensive investigation.
Once you choose the Dan Makled Law Firm for your rideshare accident, you will receive reliable, consistent, world-class customer assistance throughout the entire process. Our firm is built on a foundation of honor, service, knowledge, and skill. Those qualities allow us to protect our personal injury victims from beginning to end. We will always be honest and transparent in all dealings and communications with you, answering your questions and dealing with you professionally, yet compassionately.
How Does an Uber or Lyft Accident Differ from a Typical Car Accident?
The insurance provided by Uber and Lyft to its drivers, passengers, and third parties differs, depending on the situation. If an uber driver is on the way to pick up a passenger, or if the driver already has a passenger in the car, Uber’s insurance coverage is one million dollars per accident. This insurance covers passengers that are seriously injured due to an Uber driver’s negligence behind the wheel. Lyft has similar coverage. If an Uber or Lyft driver has no passenger but has the app open looking for a passenger, the Uber or Lyft insurance may only cover $50,000 for injuries and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
Before Uber or Lyft pays anything, however, the rideshare driver’s own insurance or the passenger’s own insurance policy may be the first line of coverage when injured in a rideshare accident. If the accident caused severe or catastrophic injuries, then the Uber accident attorney may be able to sue the responsible party on behalf of the injured party or may be able to collect damages from Uber or Lyft. Each accident is unique and requires a knowledgeable rideshare accident attorney to determine what the damages are and where to turn for damages.
What Type of Compensation is Available in an Uber or Lyft Accident?
The value of your Uber or Lyft accident depends on the insurance coverage available by each party. The damages you receive following an Uber or Lyft accident will depend on the severity of your injuries, your level of lost wages and income, whether you have suffered a diminished quality of life, and the overall pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Since rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors, the compensation you receive will depend on many different factors.
As with any auto accident, your Uber accident attorney can secure compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and more. Your physical injuries are covered as economic damages. Economic damages have a specific monetary value attached to them, therefore are easy to quantify. Lost wages also fall under economic damages.
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering—physical pain as well as emotional pain and trauma. These damages are more difficult to quantify and may include emotional distress, emotional trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and the loss of life’s pleasures. Deterioration of personal relationships, loss of consortium with a significant other, and loss of enjoyment of life all fall under non-economic, pain and suffering damages.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Uber and Lyft Accidents?
As with any auto accident, ridesharing accidents may happen at any time, anywhere. These accidents may cause severe injuries, or even death for passengers, drivers, or pedestrians. The rideshare driver or the other driver may be speeding—one of the primary causes of auto accidents. That being said, rideshare drivers are, overall, less likely to speed than the “average” driver. Driving in inclement weather is another common cause of auto accidents, both for rideshare drivers and other drivers. Rain, fog, snow, and other inclement weather issues increase the risk of an accident for all drivers, including rideshare drivers.
Inexperience may be an issue when rideshare drivers have an accident. Ridesharing drivers tend not to have as much experience behind the wheel as an average taxi driver. Most states do require rideshare drivers to be over the age of 21, however, drivers that are this young have likely not had significant driving experience. Driving while overly fatigued may be an issue for rideshare drivers since many of those employed by Uber or Lyft are working as a rideshare driver as a second job. Almost all drivers have driven while drowsy, while many have even fallen asleep behind the wheel. Insomnia is rampant across the United States, leading to many auto accidents and fatalities each year.
All drivers may deal with distractions while driving, including Uber and Lyft drivers. Drivers today eat entire meals while behind the wheel, send and receive texts, talk on the phone, change their GPS settings, change car controls, turn around to see what the children and pets are doing in the back seat, and visit with passengers. Rideshare drivers are unlikely to engage in most of these distractions while they have passengers, although they may be more focused on their GPS while trying to get their passengers to their destination.
Failure to obey traffic signals and signs or other rules of the road is another common cause of auto accidents. Rideshare drivers are unlikely to overtly do any of these things because they want good ratings from their passengers. In the same vein, it would be rare for a rideshare driver to be driving while impaired, because it would be apparent to passengers and he or she could lose their job with Uber or Lyft.
What Should You Do Following an Uber or Lyft Accident in Michigan?
Following an Uber or Lyft accident in the state of Michigan, you should first ensure that everyone who has suffered injuries from the accident receives immediate medical attention. No matter what type of auto accident you are involved in, you should always seek medical attention right away. This is extremely important, not only for your health but also for a potential claim for damages.
If you are able while at the scene of the accident, take photographs with your cell phone, and obtain witness contact information. You should notify your own insurance company of the accident, then contact an experienced Uber accident attorney who can sift through all the facts and determine who is responsible for paying for your injuries. Take the time to jot down every detail you can remember regarding the accident—any detail can potentially be important to your claim. This could significantly help your attorney prove your damages, securing a full and fair settlement on your behalf.
The Many Ways Personal Injury Attorney Dan Makled is Ready to Help and Fight for You as a Dearborn Uber Rideshare Accident Attorney
Attorney Dan Makled has achieved multi-million-dollar results for his clients and is never afraid to go to trial to get results. Dan has experience working for insurance defense firms; this has allowed him to cultivate a deep understanding of their tactics. In addition, the Dan Makled Law Firm prides itself on steadfast, personalized customer service as an Uber accident attorney as well as for other personal injury claims.
We build strong relationships with our clients by keeping them informed throughout the process and providing quality service at every turn. At the Dan Makled Law Firm, we are driven by our passion to help those harmed through the negligence of another. We are interested in your healing process as well as the legal outcome of your claim. Contact the Dan Makled Law Firm today.
