When riding in an Uber, one of the last things you expect is to be involved in a car accident. You put your safety in the driver’s hands, and if they make a mistake, you could be the one to suffer the consequences. However, there are some steps you can take to get compensation if your Uber driver gets into an accident.
First, you should treat this like any other car accident: call 911, gather information about the crash, and get medical treatment for your injuries. Getting compensation will often be a bit more complicated since you might not be filing with your own insurance company. In any case, always talk with a lawyer, and avoid any offers or promises from any Uber representatives that might sway you into taking a low settlement.
If you were injured in an Uber accident, call the Westchester Uber accident injury lawyers at The Martello Law Firm today for a free case evaluation. Our number is (914) 685-6950.
What to Do If Your Uber Driver Gets into a Car Crash in New York
If your Uber driver is late because it turns out they got into a car accident, you should probably cancel the ride and wait for another (potentially safer) driver. If your Uber driver gets into a crash while you are actually in the car, that opens up a whole new can of worms to deal with, especially if you faced injuries in the crash. However, there are always steps you can take to get compensation, so you should consider calling a New York Uber accident lawyer and working to get your damages paid.
First, it is important to know your options. Whenever you are involved in a car accident, you have the right to call 911 and report the crash, call for an ambulance, and get a police officer on the scene to draw up a report and deal with any potentially drunk or belligerent drivers. You also have the right to get any injuries you faced compensated by the at-fault parties.
In order to advocate for your rights and get the compensation you need, you should work with a Westchester car accident lawyer. Your attorney can help you collect evidence, keep track of medical expenses and other bills related to the injuries, and deal with insurance companies to get you the compensation you need. In order to get compensation, you will have to file a claim with the Uber driver’s insurance.
If your driver was not responsible for the crash, getting compensation could be more difficult, but a claim with the Uber driver’s insurance is still possible in most cases.
Dealing with Uber Representatives After a Car Crash in New York
When you do get into an accident while riding in an Uber, Uber will sometimes send out a representative to try to get control of the situation. This might seem like good customer service, but the representative’s goal is usually to help protect the company, not you.
In most car accident cases involving an Uber driver, you cannot actually sue Uber for the crash. Unlike in a taxi accident where the company is often on the hook for its driver’s mistakes, Uber drivers are not employees, and Uber is not typically responsible for their actions. However, representatives of the company still work to prevent any semblance of liability on behalf of the company and direct you toward insurance policies that can settle the case quickly – and cheaply for Uber.
Filing an Insurance Claim with Uber’s Insurance in New York
Although Uber drivers are not employees, they are still covered under an insurance policy that Uber pays for. These rideshare drivers are required to carry their own insurance just like any other driver on the road. They are also required to have their own rideshare insurance to cover their commercial driving operations. If they meet both of these qualifications, Uber provides two supplemental insurance policies that Uber drivers, injured passengers, and other people injured in an accident with an Uber can all file claims through.
The first policy supplements any injuries from an accident involving an Uber when the driver is on duty but has not yet accepted a ride. This insurance will not be important to your situation if you were injured while riding in an Uber.
Instead, there is a $1 million insurance policy that kicks in any time an Uber driver has a passenger in their car or has already accepted a ride and is en route to pick them up. This policy should help cover your injuries regardless of who was at fault for the crash. It also acts as the primary insurance policy for your injuries, but the Uber driver’s personal insurance might still help cover additional damages on top of this policy if you are not fully compensated.
Even though this insurance policy seems accessible and is high enough to cover most injuries, you should always work with a Mount Vernon car accident attorney when filing a claim. Uber employees and representatives from the insurance company will often seek to drive down settlement costs. This could happen by excluding certain areas of damages, undervaluing claims, or even denying claims altogether for technical and procedural issues. If the insurance company refuses to pay what they owe you, you can file a lawsuit to get the coverage you need.
Can You Sue After an Uber Accident in New York?
As mentioned, you usually cannot sue Uber directly for a crash. New York law also blocks car accident lawsuits unless a victim’s injuries meet certain qualifications. Typically, this happens when injuries are sufficiently “severe.” Talk to a Yonkers personal injury lawyer for more information about when you can sue and when you need to file through insurance instead.
Call Our New York Uber Accident and Injury Attorneys Today
If you were injured in an Uber accident, call the Yonkers Uber accident attorneys at The Martello Law Firm today at (914) 685-6950. We offer free case evaluations.
