Rideshare Accidents

Ordering an Uber or Lyft ride can be convenient when your car is at the auto mechanic’s, you are venturing into an area of Chicago with limited parking, or when you are returning home from a party where you have had a lot to drink – You don’t want to get a DUI. But ordering that trip also means entrusting your life to your Uber or Lyft driver.

As our reliance on the convenience of rideshare has increased, so has the inconvenience of increased accidents, injuries, and deaths. According to a study by the University of Chicago and Rice University, the introduction of ridesharing services in a city increases motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents by 2 to 3 percent. If you are involved in a rideshare accident, you need a Chicago auto accident lawyer to fight for you to recover your damages.

How to Increase Your Safety During a Rideshare Commute in Chicago

While you cannot totally eliminate the risk of being involved in a rideshare accident, the precautions listed below will reduce the severity and likelihood of injury resulting from a rideshare accident.

• Wearing your seatbelt. The National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that wearing a seatbelt in the front seat of a passenger car reduces your risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and moderate to serious injury by 65 percent.
• Not distracting your rideshare driver so he can focus on the important task of taking you safely to your destination.
• Being alert and ensuring your driver is driving safely.
• Limiting nighttime driving, as fatal accidents are three times more likely at night.

What Damages Do Rideshare Companies Provide?

While rideshare companies require their drivers to carry personal insurance, rideshare companies also carry their own commercial insurance. Whether or not, and to what extent you can recover damages from rideshare companies in the event of an accident depends on what stage of the driver’s commute the accident occurred.

When the app is on, and the driver is waiting for a ride, the following third-party liability coverage applies:

• $50,000/person for bodily injury
• $100,000/accident for bodily injury
• $25,000/accident for property damage

During rides when the passenger is in the car, rideshare companies provide $1,000,000 coverage in third-party liability coverage. In addition, they have coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorists for bodily injury applicable when a third party who caused an accident during a trip has insufficient or no insurance.

Who Can File a Claim to Rideshare Insurance Coverage

The following may get compensation through rideshare insurance depending on the scenarios previously discussed.

• A rideshare driver
• A passenger/rider
• A pedestrian hit by a rideshare driver
• Another driver hit by a rideshare driver
• A property owner whose property is damaged by a rideshare driver

What to Do Immediately After a Rideshare accident

As in every other auto accident, what you do immediately after a rideshare accident can affect what damages you may recover. If you are involved in a rideshare accident, take the following steps:

• Call 911
• Report the accident to Uber or Lyft on the app if you were on a trip on the app
• Exchange information with the other parties
• Take pictures
• Seek medical help

Talk to a Chicago Rideshare Accident Attorney Today

Rideshare accidents can cause severe injuries and losses, but the claim process can be particularly complex. If you are involved in a rideshare accident, contact the attorneys at Saks, Robinson & Rittenberg, Ltd., and schedule a free consultation today.