If you’re feeling unwell, have had a few drinks, or don’t trust yourself driving at night, calling a car through the Uber app is the right choice. Unfortunately, however, calling a car doesn’t always guarantee a safe journey.
If you or a loved one were injured in an Uber accident, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys is here to ensure you get the justice you deserve. Car accidents are traumatic events on their own. The aftermath of a crash, however, can be just as intimidating to manage if you don’t have the right resources. Between handling your medical care, claims with your insurance company, and potentially even lost wages, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
Deciding to seek compensation for an Uber accident injury, though, can help to relieve some of this pressure. Reaching out to an experienced car accident lawyer can make a massive difference in winning you the outcome you deserve, especially as in a commercial crash, your claim will be substantially more complicated than a personal car accident. Please contact us today for your free consultation. We look forward to putting our sixty years of experience as car accidents and personal injury lawyers to work for you.
Increased Risks for Uber Accidents
There are a number of risks inherent to using a rideshare service like Uber that consumers should be aware of. First, an Uber driver is often distracted on the road.
While driving, an Uber driver receives notifications for pick-up and drop-off locations, new ride requests, and other instructions all through the app. In order to comply with these notifications, an Uber driver has to frequently check their phones, even though texting and driving is outlawed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Second, in order to meet app drop-off and pick-up deadlines, many rideshare drivers feel the need to move with speed. As such, they may drive aggressively.
And finally, unlike taxis which are regulated by city governments, rideshare apps are private entities. When users create an account with Uber, they consent to Uber’s corporate terms and conditions. This often strips the consumer of rights that might be present in a personal crash or even a crash when riding in a taxi.
Determining the Value of your Uber Accident Claim
If you are a resident of Pennsylvania and were injured while riding in an Uber, you may be able to seek compensation. The first step to seeking compensation is to calculate the value of your case. To do this, you’ll want to conduct an inventory of the damages you sustained as a result of the crash. Remember to include the sum of your medical expenses, any wages you lost as a result of not being able to work while recovering from the crash, and any other personal damages you incurred.
Understanding Car Insurance and Liability Coverage
All drivers in the state of Pennsylvania must carry a minimum amount of liability insurance coverage. According to the Department of Transportation, all motorists regardless of if they are employed by Uber must carry the following before getting behind the wheel:
- $15,000 for bodily injury or death per person in a single accident
- $30,000 for bodily injury or death in total for a single accident
- $5,000 for property damage per accident
When an Uber driver is off-the-clock, meaning he or she is not driving for Uber, this insurance company policy will kick in. When the Uber driver is on-the-clock, however, Uber has a corporate liability plan that protects passengers, as outlined in the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. This means, that up to the limits of the policy, Uber will cover the cost of your medical care and other crash-related costs. Uber’s liability limit is typically around one million dollars.
Fault, Negligence, and Liability in Car Accidents
The main crux of most crash accident cases is determining which party was at fault for the crash. In fault states, the driver who was responsible for the crash is liable to cover the other party’s damages. Pennsylvania, however, is a no-fault state, which means that fault is assessed in a more nuanced way. Pennsylvania recognizes that both parties can be at-fault for a crash, and so fault is assessed in a matter of degrees. As long as you are less than 50% at fault for an accident, you will be able to seek compensation. Proving that one party acted negligently is a major component of proving fault in a car crash.
As a passenger in an Uber, you will clearly not be considered one of the parties involved in the crash. Determining which driver, though, was at fault for the accident will be an important part of directing your claim. If your driver is determined to be at fault, then you will be covered under Uber’s corporate liability insurance coverage.
If the other motorist was at fault for the crash, then you will be covered under their minimum liability insurance policy. If the other driver is uninsured, or their policy does not cover the full extent of your costs, you may be eligible to be covered under Uber’s uninsured or underinsured policy. This provides an additional one million dollars in coverage.
Emotional Damage & Suffering
When you file your claim under Uber’s insurance company policy, you will not be able to seek compensation for emotional damage, suffering, loss of life, or any life-changing specific losses. If you wish to seek compensation for any of these things, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer and pursuing a personal injury claim.
Even if you did not suffer any of these things, hiring an Uber accident attorney can help you navigate the convoluted and challenging claims process. It is not uncommon for companies to routinely deny claims as a scare tactic. If this happens to you, try to remain calm and reach out to a lawyer you trust to advise you on how to proceed.
Why Work With a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Uber Accident Lawyer
Our team at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys are the best personal injury lawyers business and has years of experience in Uber accident and car accident litigation. Our results speak for themselves. Many of our lawyers have won multi-million dollar settlements for our clients. Our lawyers have therefore earned the honor of being a part of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum – a distinction awarded to less than 1% of lawyers nationwide for their outstanding history of receiving record-breaking settlements for their victims.
Every car accident attorney at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys has a deep and unique technical experience in motor-accident litigation. As such, we have been recognized nationally. Our team is consistently named on the Best Lawyers in America list, and many of our lawyers have been recognized for their personal contributions. For example, Partner J. Christopher Munley was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2016 for his work in Workers’ Compensations-Claimants in the Allentown Metro area.
Likewise, Marion Munley is an active member of the American Association for Justice and was the first woman to chair the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018. Similarly, Daniel Munley served as chair of this same group from 2011 to 2012 and now serves on the AAJ executive board. Notably, he also received the AAJ Champion of Justice Award for his work with trucking and motor vehicle accident litigation.
We have set the bar for car accident litigation in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and are ready to take on companies like Uber in our fight to get you the benefits you are entitled to by law. If you’ve been in an Uber or Lyft accident, please reach out to us today to get a free consultation. A lawyer can discuss the specifics of your Uber crash, help you navigate Uber insurance, file a claim, and more.
