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Whether you are coming home from a night out with friends or catching a flight home from a business trip, rideshare options like Uber and Lyft are increasing in popularity by the day. The primary function of rideshare apps is to offer people a safe, affordable way to travel without using public transportation or their own car.
While these services have made it easier to reach one’s destination, they have also been the cause of a significant number of car accidents across the United States. A University of Chicago Research report found that app-based driving services, including Uber and Lyft, have accounted for a 3% increase in traffic-related fatalities since their introduction, involving drivers and passengers in both ride-share vehicles and other vehicles.
After a rideshare accident, it can be challenging to get back on your feet and recover you’re your injuries, particularly if the injuries are severe and you face significant medical bills. You can trust our team of Mount Vernon personal injury attorneys at Lever & Ecker, PLLC, to help you pursue financial compensation for the injuries you suffer in an accident involving a rideshare service.
Ridesharing is still a largely unregulated industry. Uber and Lyft drivers use their own vehicles, and are not required to obtain a specialized license, like a limousine driver or a taxi driver. Without professional training, an inexperienced rideshare driver can make mistakes resulting in severe accidents.
Rideshare vehicles can be involved in accidents due to:
If you have been injured by an Uber or Lyft driver (whether or not you were a passenger in the rideshare vehicle or another vehicle), you may be entitled to be compensated for your injuries and other losses. The best way to pursue the compensation to which you are entitled is to contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible after an accident.
Depending on the nature of the accident, the Uber or Lyft driver may be at fault, or the driver of another vehicle can also be held responsible for the accident, and the damages you suffer. Even if you were not in the rideshare vehicle, if that driver’s actions caused your injuries, you can seek legal action for the harm you suffer. For example, if a rideshare vehicle rear-ends your car and you suffer injuries from the collision, you can seek to recover the losses you sustain, including for your injuries, lost income, property damage and medical expenses.
If you are an Uber or Lyft driver and the driver of another vehicle causes the accident, you can also seek compensation for the injuries and damages you incur in the accident, including for injuries, property damage, lost income and medical expenses. Whether you are a rideshare driver as your primary job, or a side job, your income can be lost due to someone else’s negligence. Seek assistance from an experienced rideshare accident attorney to recover the losses you suffer.
The sudden and violent stop that occurs in an accident can put incredible stress on the human body. A rideshare accident can result in injuries to drivers, passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians and others. While some people recover quickly from their injuries, others unfortunately experience more severe injuries, resulting in longer-term or permanent physical, cognitive, or behavioral impairments.
Some injuries that are common for victims of rideshare accidents are:
In a personal injury accident, injured victims are likely to have medication, surgical costs, therapy, and other related medical costs that must be covered. The victim’s injuries may be so severe that they may also require time off work to recover. Personal injury attorneys familiar with Mount Vernon, NY law can help you recover compensatory damages so that you can focus on healing.
The State of New York requires ridesharing companies to provide insurance coverage to rideshare passengers and drivers from when a driver accepts the ride request until the ride is completed. Uber and Lyft widely advertise the availability of insurance of up to $1 million or more for its drivers. However, coverage applies differently in New York, depending on where the Uber or Lyft trip originated.
Specifically, if your Uber or Lyft picked you up outside the five boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island), such as in Mount Vernon, then the insurance policy for the Uber or Lyft must provide at least $1,250,000 for bodily injury to or death of any person and supplemental uninsured/underinsured (“SUM”) insurance of $1,250,000 and personal injury protection (“no-fault”) insurance.
On the other hand, if the Uber or Lyft pick you up within the five boroughs then the insurance coverage is set by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (NYC TLC) which only requires vehicles to maintain coverage limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident maximum for bodily injury and $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident maximum SUM coverage, along with no-fault insurance coverage. The above insurance coverage requirements for ridesharing vehicles are found in Article 44-B of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law (“VTL”).
As with any other case of injury from a car accident in New York, the victim must be able to establish that he or she suffered a “serious injury” in the accident, as defined under the New York Insurance Law.
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have large law firms and insurance company investigators who will use many tactics to seek to reduce or eliminate payouts to injured victims. An experienced rideshare accident law firm, such as Lever & Ecker, PLLC. can hold the at-fault person or entity legally accountable for their negligent actions.
The party found to be at fault for the accident will be required to compensate the rideshare accident victim for bodily, mental, and financial injuries. Damages compensate the injured person for losing something of economic or non-economic value.
Lever & Ecker, PLLC will guide you through every step of the legal process. You can trust us to answer your questions regarding your rights and advise you of every available legal option to compensate you for your injuries.
When you suffer a rideshare accident injury in Mount Vernon, you need a knowledgeable, experienced lawyer on your side who will:
Having someone by your side in stressful times can help you feel confident and represented. There are many unfamiliar processes and terms that you may encounter. Still, with the help of a dependable attorney, they will help navigate and answer any questions you may have about your case.
Choosing a Mount Vernon rideshare accident lawyer at Lever & Ecker, PLLC, to represent you is a wise decision. Our New York lawyers have successfully represented thousands of clients like you, obtaining substantial compensation for them.
Our firm will protect your rights and fight for a fair verdict or settlement that provides the maximum compensation to get you back to the life you enjoyed before the accident.
Call our office today at (914) 350-6328 to request a free consultation.
