Do I Need a Rancho Cucamonga Rideshare Accident Lawyer?
Rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber have soared in popularity, especially in heavily populated areas like Southern California. Even though these rideshare services are designed to reduce the number of drunk driving and/or distracted driving accidents that occur, passengers are still at risk of getting injured in a rideshare accident. When a Uber or Lyft accident occurs, it can leave passengers with costly medical bills and serious injuries.
As such, having an experienced and compassionate Rancho Cucamonga Uber accident lawyer to turn to in your time of need can be the resource you need to protect your rights and collect the financial settlement you deserve. Schedule a free consultation today.
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How Our Law Office Can Help You With Your Claim
Every motor vehicle accident has its challenges. However, Lyft and Uber accidents are usually complex due to the many parties that may be involved and whether or not the driver was on the clock at the time of the accident. For this reason alone, having an experienced lawyer who has consistently handled these types of accident cases is critical to protecting your rights.
At Sierra Accident Lawyers, you can trust that our law firm of Uber and Lyft accident lawyers has successfully represented Rancho Cucamonga residents in their Lyft and Uber accident claims. Our winning track record has earned us several different legal accolades. Best of all, we have access to the best medical providers in California to help substantiate the severity of your injuries to get you the maximum amount of compensation you deserve.
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Common Causes of Lyft and Uber Accidents in Rancho Cucamonga, California
Just like other types of motor vehicle accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents are no strangers to the risks and hazards of being behind the wheel. However, they do face hazards more frequently than other drivers, such as driving down unfamiliar roads or constantly looking at their phone’s navigation system.
Here are just a few of the most common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents in Rancho Cucamonga, CA:
- Speeding: To make more money during their shift, some Lyft and Uber drivers may engage in unsafe driving habits such as speeding or weaving in and out of traffic.
- Distractions: As mentioned above, many drivers will look at their phone’s navigation system to get directions to and from their pickup/drop-off locations. On top of this, some rideshare drivers may be logged into both Lyft and Uber simultaneously, so while they may be transporting you for Lyft, they could be accepting a future request for Uber. Distractions can also be cognitive, such as when the rideshare driver engages in conversation with their passenger, or if the guests in the back are rowdy and acting up.
- Fatigue: Many rideshare drivers work long hours well into the late evening and early morning. As a result, they may push themselves too hard and be too tired to drive safely.
- Looking for passengers: Lyft and Uber drivers are always having to pick up new passengers at new locations. Therefore, they may take their eyes off the road to look for the people they’re picking up, subsequently colliding into another vehicle or even a pedestrian. This also applies to looking for a place to pull over or park.
- Driving on unfamiliar roads: Though we mentioned this earlier, many Uber and Lyft drivers travel to areas they haven’t before, so they may be unprepared for sudden stops, detours, or sudden lane changes.
- Insufficient training: While the training offered by Lyft and Uber is, indeed, limited, all new Uber drivers must complete an onboarding process that trains them on how to use the navigation system while Lyft contractors have to be trained on how to diffuse a bad situation and report car accidents.
Regardless of what caused the Rancho Cucamonga rideshare accident, the injuries resulting from one are often significant. Unfortunately, common causes such as distracted driving continue to see an uptick. Sadly, fatal rideshare accidents have increased by 2-3 percent since 2011.
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Who’s Liable in a Rancho Cucamonga Uber or Lyft Accident?
The answer: it depends. Liability in rideshare accidents will usually depend on whether or not the driver was actively logged into the app at the time of the rideshare accident. Uber offers $1,000,000 in liability coverage if the driver was logged into the app and either actively transporting guests or en route to pick them up. Likewise, Lyft also has a $1,000,000 policy for drivers logged into the app and covers them from the point they accept the ride request to the point of drop off.
As previously mentioned, there are several common causes of Lyft and Uber accidents in Rancho Cucamonga, but as with all personal injury claims, it comes down to whether or not a driver owed a duty of care to everyone else on the road. Uber and Lyft drivers are expected to adhere to the laws of the road and engage in safe driving practices. When they breach this duty of care owed to others and their negligence results in compensable damages, they can be held liable for the rideshare accident. However, their percentage of fault will vary depending on the situation.
California is a pure comparative negligence state, which simply means that any party found to be partially at fault for the accident will have their compensation award reduced by their percentage of fault. For example, if your Uber driver was too busy looking at their phone to pick up their next request and got into an accident, they will most likely hold all of the liability and your injuries will be compensated by Uber’s insurance policy. However, if you were injured in the accident but did not wear your seatbelt, the insurance company and the defendant will argue that you were partially to blame for your injuries. As a result, your award compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Determining liability in a Rancho Cucamonga car accident is often complex. It requires the skill and experience of an experienced attorney to investigate all the details and if the Uber driver intended to violate California’s vehicle code. In many cases, determining liability in an auto accident isn’t always so cut and dry. While you may think that your Uber or Lyft driver was responsible for the accident, it could have been the direct result of another reckless driver, a California transit company, pedestrians, and even bicyclists.
Simply put, it’s impossible to determine who is liable for an auto accident just by looking at it, so you need a trained lawyer to conduct an investigation and hire an accident reconstruction accident expert to piece together what happened.
Common Injuries Sustained in Lyft and Uber Crashes in Rancho Cucamonga
Just like with any type of car accident, the injuries one could sustain in a Rancho Cucamonga Lyft/Uber accident can vary from mild to significant. It’s not uncommon for passengers to suffer the following personal injuries:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury can result in memory loss, loss of balance and coordination, speech difficulties, and seizures.
Facial Injuries
Depending on the severity of the accident, this could include everything from burn injuries due to car fires, scarring from shattered glass, and even chipped teeth from colliding with the windshield or other objects in the car.
Broken Bones
The most common broken bones resulting from Uber and Lyft car accidents are hands, feet, legs, arms, ribs, and clavicle bones.
Whiplash/Shoulder Injuries
Whiplash can be debilitating and cause shoulder and neck injuries, torn rotator cuffs, and even torn ligaments.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Severe spinal cord injuries can lead to paralysis, as well as spinal stenosis, fractures, herniated discs, and spondylolisthesis, which is when the vertebrae shift out of place.
Why You Need to Hire an Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer
The injuries mentioned above can put you out of work for a long time while you recover, so you’ll need to turn to your insurance company for help. However, when you’re dealing with a Lyft or Uber accident, you’re not just dealing with your own insurance company, but you’re dealing with the other driver’s insurance company, as well. And, depending on the situation, you will likely have to battle the rideshare company’s legal team. Regardless of which insurance company you’re dealing with, each of them will be focused on keeping their bottom line. Simply put, insurance companies are not working in your best interests after the accident – but our Rancho Cucamonga car accident lawyers at Sierra Accident Lawyers are.
Under California law, insurance companies have 40 days to approve or deny a claim. However, some insurance companies may operate in bad faith and purposely try to delay the determination of a claim until the statute of limitations has passed. This is a big reason why you need to hire a Rancho Cucamonga car accident lawyer as soon as possible after your Lyft accident. While passengers have two years from the date the accident occurred to file a claim, this window goes by fast when you’re dealing with severe injuries that may flip your entire world upside down. If by the time you file a claim, the insurance company could play games to keep their bottom line and significantly hurt you in the end. Your lawyer, however, knows what kinds of tricks insurance companies use and how to work around them so you don’t get taken for a ride. Plus, when you work with an experienced car accident lawyer, you allow them to take the burden of dealing with insurance adjusters off your shoulders.
Here are a few other ways in which an experienced Uber accident lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga can help you:
- They can help you complete the necessary paperwork and make sure everything is filled out correctly so there are no delays with your accident claim.
- They can aggressively fight for your rights in court and present your case to a judge and jury.
- They can let you know early on if you have a claim worth pursuing and if so, what you should expect from the process.
- They offer free consultations.
A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Determine the Value of Your Claim
The average settlement amount for severe Lyft and Uber accidents in California will vary. However, getting to this number is dependent on a variety of factors, such as the pain and suffering you experienced, lost wages, medical bills, related costs, lost earning capacity, and in cases involving the loss of a loved one, loss of consortium.
It may depend on the property damage you suffered, as well. Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and fear of driving are more difficult to place a monetary value on, unlike economic damages that can have proof of receipts, co-pays, and calculations from economic witnesses.
Insurance Company Claims
Many drivers involved in Rancho Cucamonga Lyft and Uber accidents are unaware that the insurance company they’re dealing with plays a significant role in determining the value of an insurance claim, as some insurance carriers may settle for more money than others. This is another good reason to hire an experienced Uber accident lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. They can negotiate a higher settlement with the insurance carrier on your behalf.
What to do After Car Accidents Involving an Uber or Lyft Vehicle
The first few moments after a Lyft or Uber accident can feel overwhelming and scary. You may not know what to do, especially if this is the first time you’ve ever been injured in a motor vehicle accident. However, we have a couple of tips you should keep in mind:
- Check on the health and wellness of yourself and the other passengers: While you should call 911 regardless, you should try to take stock of whether anyone needs immediate medical assistance and relay that information to the police dispatcher.
- Call law enforcement: Next, call 911. When the police arrive, they will create a police report indicating where the accident occurred, the time of day, and who they believe was at fault for it. This will be a crucial piece of evidence to include in your personal injury claim.
- Get the name of your Uber or Lyft driver: Even though rideshare companies will have the driver’s name, license plate number, and location of the accident in their database, you must gather this information on your own to give it to your lawyer and the insurance company.
- Document everything: Take photos of the street, street signs, road signs, potholes, other vehicles involved, injuries, the other driver’s license plate, weather conditions, and anything else you think might be pertinent to your case. If there are skid marks on the road snap a photo of them. If they are witnesses, get their names and contact info.
- Seek medical attention: If it doesn’t look like you were severely injured in the crash, that doesn’t mean you aren’t still suffering from a personal injury. Whiplash Syndrome, for example, may take months to appear. By visiting the doctor right away, you’re ruling out serious injury while also collecting evidence for your Uber accident claim.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Were you involved in a Lyft or Uber Accident? Consult a car accident lawyer today. Our personal injury law firm knows that when you’ve suffered injuries from an auto accident, you may be unable to return to work for an extensive period. This is why we proudly offer a contingency payment structure. You only pay when we win your case. If you’re looking for a rideshare accident lawyer in the Rancho Cucamonga area, look no further than the qualified legal counsel at Sierra Accident Lawyers for help.
Schedule a consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer today. Request a free consultation online or give us a call at 909-942-7632. We’re here to help.