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Rideshare Accidents

Ridesharing has become a very popular way to travel in Denver, Colorado, and around the country. Rideshare companies are becoming more numerous, and it is incredibly common to see a vehicle driving around with markings that indicate that the driver is working for one of those companies. With this increased popularity comes the increased risk of a car accident that involves a ridesharing company in one way or another.

Whether you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, a driver of a rideshare vehicle, or whether you were in your own car and involved in an accident with a rideshare vehicle, our firm can help. If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed as the result of a rideshare automobile accident in Denver or the greater Denver metropolitan area, an experienced personal injury attorney at accidentdenver.com can fight for the financial compensation you deserve.

Rideshare Car Accident Lawyers in Denver, Colorado

Rideshare companies and their drivers who cause accidents should be held responsible for the injuries they cause. If you or your loved ones were injured as a result of a collision with a rideshare company vehicle, you deserve to be financially compensated for your losses.

No matter how small or how big your case may be, the accidentdenver.com team will keep you informed every step of the way throughout the process and they will handle every detail seamlessly to put you on the road to recovery. Our team at accidentdenver.com pride themselves on clear, honest, and open communication with each and every one of their clients.

Our attorneys at accidentdenver.com take cases on a contingency basis, which means that you pay nothing until your case has reached a favorable resolution. Let us put our years of experience to work for you and your loved ones.

Popular Rideshare Companies

The two most popular rideshare companies in the United States are Uber and Lyft. Both work on the same general model: they hire independent contractor drivers and pay them based upon their "fares." As these independent contractor drivers drive people from one location to the next, both the driver and the company make money.

Accidents as a Lyft Passenger

When a person suffers an accident while a Lyft passenger, there are several important legal aspects that are important to know and consider. Those involved in these types of accidents should move quickly to protect their rights, or risk losing them if the time limit to file passes you by.

What Do If I Am Injured as a Lyft Passenger?

Drivers who are injured as a Lyft passenger have several frequently asked questions that need to be addressed?  

  • How do I recover for my injuries?
  • What is the statute of limitations?
  • Who do I file my lawsuit against?

The answers to these and other questions are helpful in educating injured victims on their rights.

Lyft Driver Insurance

Lyft drivers are required to carry automobile insurance, just as all Colorado drivers are. However, rideshare drivers also have certain other expectations when it comes to insurance that are important to know.

Driver Selection and Training

How Lyft drivers are selected and trained can have a significant impact on how your personal injury case may proceed. If a company hires a dangerous driver or fails to adequately train a driver and that negligence results in harm to you, the company can be held responsible.

Accidents as an Uber Passenger

When a passenger riding in an Uber is injured as a result of a driver's negligence, or even another driver, the injured passenger has a right to financial compensation from the responsible party. You should not have to bear the cost of your injuries.

Statute of Limitations for Uber Injury Claims

Like other types of motor vehicle personal injury claims, a three-year statute of limitations applies to Uber and other rideshare accident claims. If a person is injured in an Uber accident but fails to file within three years of the accident, their case will likely be thrown out even if the claim would otherwise be successful.

How to Report an Uber Accident

When an Uber accident occurs, it is important to report the accident to police, as well as the applicable insurance companies for yourself, the Uber driver, and the Uber company itself. Failure to report the accident could affect your rights later on.

Accidents with a Lyft Driver

In another type of scenario, you may not have been in the Lyft, but you were hit by a driver while they were working for Lyft. In these situations, it is important to know and understand your rights, and to make sure your case is filed by the statute of limitations.

Whether the Lyft Driver Was On Duty

The status of the Lyft driver being "on duty" matters when determining what type of liability that Lyft driver will have for the injuries they caused you, and what parties you can name in your personal injury lawsuit.

Three situations can apply that impact this determination:

  • the Lyft driver was not logged into the Lyft app at the time of the accident (off-duty Lyft driver),
  • the Lyft driver was logged in but was waiting for a ride request, and
  • the Lyft driver was logged in and had a passenger or was on the way to pick up a passenger.

No matter the status of the Lyft driver, you are entitled to recover financial compensation for your injuries. The status of the Lyft driver simply impacts who you can sue, and does not directly affect how much money you can win to compensate you for your damages.

Reporting the Accident

When an accident occurs with a Lyft driver, it is important to report the accident to the police as well as the applicable insurance companies. Filing a report helps make a record of the accident that can be used in your personal injury lawsuit, and be very useful evidence in your case.

Lyft Insurance Coverage

Lyft carries insurance for its drivers, and the amounts can vary depending on the status of the driver at the time of the accident. Drivers who are off duty are not covered by Lyft's insurance but rather their own car insurance.

Lyft drivers who are on duty are covered in certain specific amounts based upon their driver's status at the time of the motor vehicle accident.

Accidents with an Uber Driver

When an Uber driver is the cause of a motor vehicle accident, there may be significant injuries or even death, that occurs as a result of the vehicle collision. When this occurs, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the Uber driver, the company itself, and any other parties who may be responsible for the accident.

Employee or Independent Contractor?

There remains significant debate about whether rideshare drivers are independent contractors or employees under the law. The significance of this determination has to do with how much liability the company has for the actions of its drivers.

The law in this area is both complex and ever-changing. However, your personal injury attorney has the necessary knowledge and experience to handle this aspect of the case and will work to resolve the case in your best interests.

Determining Insurance Coverage

Whether Uber's insurance coverage will apply depends on whether the Uber driver was logged into the app at the time of the accident. If not, the individual driver was "off duty" and only his or her insurance will apply.

If the Uber driver was logged into the app, the amount of coverage depends on whether the driver was waiting for a request or was actively working on a request (whether with a passenger or on the way to pick up a passenger).

Accidents as a Lyft Driver

If you were a Lyft driver, and you were injured in an accident, you also have rights. Just because you are working as a Lyft driver does not mean that you cannot file a lawsuit to recover for your injuries. You have just as many rights to hold the responsible party liable for the costs you incurred from the accident.

Insurance Coverage from Lyft for its Drivers

Lyft provides insurance coverage for its drivers in case they are in an accident. This is true for cases where the Lyft driver was at fault, or another driver was at fault. Rideshare companies protect their drivers, and others, by providing this insurance.

Colorado law requires insurance coverage to be provided by Lyft to its drivers. If you were driving a Lyft and injured by another driver, you can file a lawsuit against the responsible party. Also, if Lyft attempts to deny coverage of your injuries, Lyft can be added to the lawsuit in order to make sure your injuries are covered.

How to Report a Lyft Accident as a Driver

Lyft drivers who are involved in an accident are expected to file police reports concerning the accident. Lyft also expects to be notified of any accident, and the details of that accident. 

A proper report is very important to document what occurred at the time of the accident so it can later be used as proof in the personal injury lawsuit.

Accidents as an Uber Driver

When you are driving for Uber as one of their drivers, and you are injured by another person's negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover financial compensation related to your damages. Just because you are on duty and working when the accident occurred does not mean that you should have to bear the cost of another person's negligence.

Statute of Limitations as an Uber Driver

If you were injured while driving for Uber, you have the same three-year statute of limitations as other drivers injured as part of a motor vehicle accident. You must file your claim within the three-year statute of limitations or risk your claim being tossed out of court as not timely.

This can occur even when you would otherwise win your case, and there is no question the other driver was responsible for the accident. These rules are strictly enforced, and there are only a few exceptions. 

Uber Driver Insurance Coverage

Uber, like Lyft, provides insurance coverage for its drivers over and beyond what the individual driver is expected to have for his or her own driving purposes. The purpose of this insurance coverage is to protect both the Uber driver and others that may be involved in an accident involving Uber.

Coverage can depend on what the status of the driver was at the time of the accident. What this means is that if the Uber driver was "on duty" the insurance coverage provided by Uber will be effective. If the Uber driver was not logged into the Uber app, and was therefore "off duty," Uber's insurance coverage would not apply, but the individual driver's insurance coverage would be effective.

Holding Rideshare Companies Responsible

In many cases involving rideshare companies, they should be held responsible, partly at the very least, for any damages caused by an accident related to one of their vehicles. Rideshare companies are large corporations and have a large legal team at their disposal.

You will need an experienced Denver personal injury attorney to represent your rights against these big companies. The type of evidence needed to present your case, as well as effective strategies for negotiating with these large legal teams, is well-known to an experienced personal injury attorney.

Consult an Experienced Denver Rideshare Auto Accident Lawyer

When a person is involved in an accident with a rideshare company driver, who can be sued and who may be responsible can be in flux. However, when the injuries you suffered were not your fault, the responsible party should be the one who has to pay—not you.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in the greater Denver metropolitan area, please do not hesitate to contact accidentdenver.com today at 303-642-8888 for a free consultation. We are here waiting for you.

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