Who is Liable in Rideshare Accident
Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are immensely popular, particularly here in California. Even though most of us do not think twice about clicking a few buttons on our phones and getting a ride to our destination, the reality is that accidents involving rideshare vehicles can occur. When a rideshare accident does happen, any person involved who sustains an injury or property damage should be able to recover compensation. However, determining liability after these incidents is challenging.
What Evidence Can Help Determine Rideshare Accident Liability?
There may be various types of evidence that can help determine liability after a rideshare incident occurs in California. Much of the evidence we discuss here is the same type of evidence used to determine liability for any kind of vehicle accident, including:
- Photographs from the scene of the incident, including photos of injuries, the crash scene, weather and traffic conditions, and more
- Video surveillance footage from nearby cameras on homes, businesses, or dashcams
- Statements from those involved in the incident, as well as eyewitnesses
- The police report filled out by responding law enforcement personnel
In addition to this common vehicle accident evidence we will need to gather, rideshare incidents will almost certainly need extended investigations. Additional types of evidence your attorney will likely work to obtain include:
- Information available through the rideshare driver’s work mobile app
- Application and background information on the driver from the rideshare companies
- Vehicle black box data
- Mobile device data
What if The Rideshare Driver Caused the Crash?
In the event a rideshare driver caused the vehicle accident, recovering compensation involves examining the status of the driver at the time the incident occurred. Most likely, if the driver had a sanctioned passenger or was on the way to pick one up, the incident would fall under the last “insurance tier” for the rideshare company. Both Uber and Lyft use these “tiered” insurance levels to determine which insurance policy helps pay for compensation after an incident caused by the rideshare driver.
Uber and Lyft both have liability insurance policies valued at more than $1 million to cover those involved in an incident when a driver has a passenger on board.
What if Another Driver Was Responsible?
In the event another driver caused the accident involving the rideshare vehicle, then the alleged negligent driver’s insurance should be responsible for paying compensation to other parties. However, if you were a passenger in the rideshare vehicle, your compensation may not come directly from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier. We encourage you to speak to an attorney about the process of recovering compensation in this particular circumstance.
How Much Compensation Will You Receive?
There is no set amount of compensation paid to rate your accident victims in California. Rather, several factors can influence how much monetary compensation a victim gets for a successful claim. Some of these factors include how severe it injuries are and the length of the recovery time. A Sacramento rideshare accident lawyer will work to recover both economic and non-economic damages for victims, which can include coverage of medical bills, lost wages, property damage losses, and pain and suffering damages.