Rideshare Accident Attorneys in Beverly Hills

Filing Claims Against Uber, Lyft & Other Companies

Rideshare accidents are a unique form of car accident in that it involves liability complications due to the fact that the driver was representing a company at the time of the accident. Whether you were in a rideshare vehicle when it crashed or you were driving and a rideshare driver hit you, BD&J, PC can be of assistance. Our Beverly Hills Uber and Lyft accident attorneys have the knowledge, experience, and resources needed to take on major rideshare companies. With our help, you might be able to recover compensation that pays for your medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, permanent disabilities, and more.

Common Injuries in Rideshare Accidents

Rideshare accident injuries can range from minor to severe. Even if you’re not in the front seat, you could still receive serious injuries depending on what type of accident you’re in. Some common injuries include:

• Whiplash. This injury is common in rear-end accidents due to the sudden jerking motion of your head. 
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Severe accidents may cause TBIs of differing severity. These injuries happen when an outside force causes damage to your brain. 
• Broken bones. The impact of all types of rideshare accidents can cause broken bones.
• Spinal cord injuries. Damage to the back or spinal cord may affect your mobility or cause paralysis. 
• Internal injuries. Injuries to your organs can happen if you hit an object or an object gets thrown into you during the accident. 

Common Types of Rideshare Accidents

Rideshare accidents are like regular car accidents. You may be a victim of a rideshare accident if you’re a passenger in a rideshare driver’s vehicle or if your vehicle is struck by a rideshare driver’s car. You might experience the following types of accidents while using a rideshare service:

• Rear-end accidents where your rideshare vehicle is hit from behind or hits the back of another car
• Sideswipe accidents where vehicles collide along the side
• T-bone accidents where one vehicle runs into the side of another vehicle
• Single-vehicle accidents where the rideshare driver hits another object or goes off the road
• Pedestrian or cyclist accidents where the rideshare vehicle hits someone on the road

Damages You Can Recover in a Rideshare Accident

You may be able to seek compensation for physical and emotional damage caused by the accident. A rideshare accident attorney in Beverly Hills can help you determine what compensation you might be eligible to receive. Common damages you can receive compensation for include:

• Medical costs. You may have bills already for hospital stays, therapy, and other medical care. You can seek compensation for existing medical bills as well as the cost of future medical care. For example, you might be in rehabilitation or need future surgeries or therapy. 
• Loss of income. A serious rideshare accident could keep you out of work for weeks or months. In some cases, the injuries are so severe you can’t go back to work or may have to change jobs. Your accident lawyer can negotiate compensation for lost wages. 
• Property damage. If an Uber or Lyft driver hits your personal vehicle in an accident, your settlement can include compensation for property damage. You could also receive money for damage to personal property that was with you if you were a passenger in a rideshare.
• Emotional damage. Your accident lawyer can help you understand what type of compensation you might seek for emotional damage.

Some damages, such as medical expenses, are straightforward to calculate. Others, such as pain and suffering, are more complex. Working with a rideshare accident attorney takes the guesswork out of the process.

Understanding Uber’s Insurance Policy

Uber has famously said it will provide a $1 million insurance policy to cover its drivers after a rideshare accident. However, this policy does not apply to all accidents that involve an Uber driver. It has a limited application, which is divided into three coverage phases.

The phases of Uber’s insurance coverage are:

• No coverage: Uber does not provide any coverage for a driver who was not actively using the Uber app at the time of a crash. At that point, they are considered just another motorist. Injured parties will have to file against that driver’s auto insurance policy that they purchased for themselves.
• Limited coverage: Uber offers some coverage opportunities if one of its drivers gets into a crash while using the app but before accepting a fare. In this circumstance, the driver’s privately-held auto insurance policy will be used first. If that policy does not provide enough to cover all the damages, then Uber can provide up to $50,000 for bodily injury to one person, up to $100,000 for bodily injuries to multiple people, and up to $25,000 for property damage.
• Full coverage: Uber offers the most of its policy when the driver is using the app and has accepted a fare, which means driving to pick up a rider or the rider is already in their vehicle. At this point, Uber offers its $1,000,000 third-party liability coverage, as well as an uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage policy and a contingent comprehensive and collision coverage policy.

It is worth noting that Lyft also offers a strikingly similar insurance policy for its drivers. One of the only notable differences is that the deductible can be different for the contingent comprehensive and collision coverage policy, which still is only available when the Lyft driver has accepted a fare.

What to Do If You’re in a Rideshare Accident

Follow these steps if you’re in a rideshare accident:

1. Check yourself for injuries and seek medical attention if needed.
2. Call the police if no one else has contacted them.
3. Document the accident with photos, details of what happened, and contact information from witnesses. 
4. Report the accident to the rideshare company.
5. Contact a Beverly Hills accident lawyer to receive assistance with the settlement process. 

Making sure you get medical assistance is the most important step, but having legal assistance as you move through the claims process helps you maximize your settlement.

Taking Care of Your Claim, One Day at a Time

A rideshare claim or lawsuit might take some time to reach a conclusion, but do not worry. BD&J, PC and our Beverly Hills Uber and Lyft accident attorneys are here to support you at every step of the way. Each day, we will pay attention to your case for updates and new steps to take. The goal is to get you the compensation you deserve in as little time as possible while keeping you appraised of things as they develop. In other words, we combine some of the best features of a large corporate firm and a smaller local firm!