The Houston area is a busy one. Those heading to its theater district, space station, or other attractions, going to work, or just out for a night on the town often rely on rideshare vehicles to get them where they want to be. The number of rideshare drivers connected to rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft has steadily increased since these companies first entered the scene, with no signs of slowing down.
Though the rideshare option brings convenience and helps keep drunk drivers off the roads, it also adds to the number of cars traveling Houston’s streets and, in turn, raises the potential for car accidents. If were injured in a rideshare crash, a Houston rideshare accident lawyer can help you seek financial compensation for the losses you sustained.
Injured in an Uber or Lyft Accident? How Our Houston Rideshare Lawyers Can Help
Whether you are a rideshare driver or passenger, pedestrian, or in another vehicle affected by a rideshare-involved accident, you can pursue compensation for your damages if the collision was caused by another party’s negligence.
Potential Accident Victims
Though ridesharing helps keep some dangerous drivers off the roads, pedestrians are especially vulnerable to injuries from rideshare vehicles, specifically at pick-up and drop-off sites. When the Uber driver is preoccupied with identifying their next client or looking for a convenient place to pull over for a drop off, they may fail to see pedestrians crossing the street or standing by the curb.
Passengers of rideshare vehicles can also be victims in single-car accidents or collisions with other vehicles. And sitting behind the wheel of a rideshare vehicle does not exempt an Uber driver or Lyft driver from other reckless vehicle operators. Drivers can be victims too.
Occupants of other vehicles may also be accident victims. Rideshare drivers can make errors or engage in reckless driving behaviors that cause crashes with other cars on the roads.
Potential Liable Parties
To collect a settlement, identifying the actual at-fault party is critical. The defendant only pays compensation if you can prove their negligence. Failing to investigate your accident thoroughly and pointing the finger at the wrong party can cost you your settlement. A Houston rideshare accident attorney is equipped to examine your accident fully, determining its cause and identifying the liable parties.
Potentially liable parties include:
- The Uber driver or Lyft driver
- Another motorist
- A government entity if the accident is with a government-owned vehicle or the result of a government entity’s failure – for example, if a defective traffic signal, inadequate street lighting, or road maintenance caused the incident
- The rideshare company, but only in very specific conditions
- A violent rideshare passenger
Injuries Sustained in a Houston Rideshare Accident
Rideshare accident victims can sustain serious injuries in a crash. Even if a bodily injury is not immediately apparent as serious, victims should seek prompt medical care for two important reasons.
First, the effects of some injuries take a little time to appear, perhaps hours or a day. Most dangerously, victims may not feel the effects of brain damage or internal bleeding right away, yet if untreated, these injuries can cause permanent cognitive or internal damage, coma, or death. Less deadly injuries, such as damage to the back muscles or a fractured bone, may be hidden by the initial adrenaline rush that follows an accident. Delaying treatment can turn these moderate injuries into much more serious injuries.
Second, having your injuries documented by a medical professional supports your claim. If you delay treatment, the at-fault party can argue your injuries were initially not that bad and that your choice to delay care caused your condition, not the accident.
Other Losses
Accident victims may also experience property damage, financial losses, and emotional trauma. Any luggage, devices, or other property damaged or destroyed in the rideshare must be accounted for.
Medical bills are not the only financial loss stemming from a rideshare accident in Houston. As you recover, you will miss time at work and lose income. You may also incur other expenses as you pay for help or services to carry out responsibilities you handled prior to the injury.
Car accidents often produce psychological trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety. When physical or psychological injuries prevent victims from enjoying life as they once did, they may fall into depression, feel isolated, and see a steep reduction in their quality of life.
Your Houston rideshare accident attorney will consider all of your losses and make a settlement demand to cover them all.
Texas Rideshare Accidents and Insurance Claims
Navigating a rideshare accident injury case is somewhat more complicated than working through a claim against a “private” driver. This complication holds even for rideshare drivers involved in accidents. Determining the liable party has an extra layer of complexity, and exactly when the accident occurs affects what insurance policy is responsible for covering damages.
Under Texas personal injury law, victims can file against the at-fault party as long as they (the victims) are less than 50% responsible for the accident. Then, they must prove the at-fault party’s negligence caused the accident that cost them damages. An experienced Houston rideshare accident lawyer has the resources and background to conduct a thorough investigation and build a solid injury case.
Rideshare companies hire drivers as independent contractors to protect the company from liability should the driver cause an accident. Uber and other companies require their drivers to purchase an auto insurance policy fulfilling their state’s requirements. If an accident occurs when the Uber driver is not active on the app, the driver’s personal auto insurance policy applies.
Typical Rideshare Company Insurance Coverage
Most rideshare companies offer the same coverage and insurance policy limits depending on the driver’s activity on the rideshare app at the time of the accident. Uber follows this format:
When the app is on and the driver is waiting for a fare request:
- Third-party liability coverage, if personal insurance does not apply, of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage per accident
When the app is on, and the driver is traveling to pick up a fare request. Or, when the app is on, the fare is in the car, and the driver is traveling to the drop-off site:
- $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury
- Collision coverage up to the cash value of the car after a $2,500 deductible, if the driver carries collision on their personal auto insurance
If another driver or government entity caused the accident, your attorney will file against their insurance policy as appropriate.
For most rideshare accidents, filing a successful claim against the company itself is not a viable option. If there is evidence that the company’s failure to vet their drivers or some other lapse contributed to the accident, your attorney will discuss your options with you.
What a Personal Injury Claim Can Recover
A skilled attorney will file a personal injury claim within the Texas two-year statute of limitations, collect and present evidence to support your claim, and negotiate a substantial settlement with the at-fault party’s representatives. If a settlement cannot be achieved, attorney Steve Lee will take your case to trial.
It is in your best interests to leave all communication with insurance adjusters to your attorney. Regrettably, insurance companies go to great lengths, and often unethical ones, to coerce victims into accepting a settlement far lower than what is deserved. It is easy for victims to fall prey to those strategies, but an experienced rideshare accident lawyer will anticipate these tactics and protect your legal rights while maximizing compensation on your behalf.
Settlement or verdict amounts vary from one case to another, but a successful financial resolution typically covers medical bills and future medical expenses, income lost during recovery time, and future lost earnings if you cannot return to work, damaged or destroyed property, and pain and suffering.
An experienced attorney will not undervalue your case. When victims work alone in the chaotic aftermath of an accident, they often overlook or underestimate their losses. A rideshare accident lawyer in Houston will assess your situation with great care, ensuring your financial demand adequately meets your needs.
Set up Your Free Case Evaluation with a Houston Rideshare Accident Lawyer Today
The fallout of a car accident is frustrating even in the simplest scenarios. When an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare vehicle is involved, the level of frustration spikes. Since no insurance company wants to be “on the hook” for paying compensation, the involved drivers’ personal insurance adjusters and rideshare coverage companies may look for loopholes in the fine print or gray areas in the timing of the accident to deflect culpability, as you remain uncompensated.
Taking on these companies alone will only increase your stress and lead to a likely reduction in your settlement when you finally get it. Instead of engaging in the battle, put your case in the hands of an Uber accident lawyer and put your energy into recovery. Contact Steven M. Lee, PC, for a free case consultation. The Houston rideshare accident lawyers from our team will put all our legal skills, experience, and resources into your case so you receive just compensation.