Seattle Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyer

So, what do you do if you’re a passenger or driver in an uber or lyft that has been involved in an accident. More importantly, what do you do if you are injured? Also, who is covering the bill? A Seattle Uber and Lyft accident attorney can help you navigate the tricky process.

Rideshare is on the rise in major cities like Seattle. Since its inception, Lyft has completed one billion rides and Uber ten billion rides. Like any vehicle on the road, car accidents happen; uber and lyft drivers are no exception. If you’ve experienced an accident during a rideshare, call the Seattle Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at Fang Law Firm today for a free case consultation so we can get started on recovering your compensation.

Fang Law Firm Can Help with Uber and Lyft Litigation

• We have won 98 percent of our 10,000 litigated cases
• Our Seattle car accident attorneys have the skills, experience and resource to take on large defendants and win.
• Our law firm policy is to return your call within 24 hours.
• We offer free case consultations and no attorney’s fees unless we win your case
• We begin with a resolution-based approach to seek an out-of-court settlement for your damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering but we won’t hesitate to take your case to court if necessary

The dedicated client advocates at Fang Law Firm understand the toll an unexpected injury takes on the victim’s life. We’re ready to navigate the complex financial aspects of a rideshare accident claim while you focus on recovering from your physical injuries.

Common Causes of Uber/Lyft Accidents in Seattle

Sometimes hazards in the road or a defective steering or brake system cause an accident, but the most common cause of accidents by far is driver error—including in Uber and Lyft accidents, whether it’s the Uber driver’s error or that of another driver. Common causes of rideshare accidents in Seattle include the following:

• Distracted driving: Uber and Lyft drivers commonly use their rideshare apps while behind the wheel to navigate and look for their next booking 
• Speeding: Uber and Lyft drivers sometimes exceed the speed limit so they can maximize the number of rides they accomplish in a shift
• Inexperienced driving: Uber drivers are often young drivers or college students who use their rideshare job as a convenient way to earn money after school hours
• Fatigued driving: Lyft and Uber drivers are often those working their rideshare job to earn a second income after working a primary job all day, resulting in fatigued rideshare drivers on the road
• Intoxication: Uber and Lyft drivers may have substance abuse problems that result in accidents
• Reckless driving: Rideshare drivers spend long hours on the road and may drive negligently or recklessly, resulting in an accident

Rear-end collisions, T-bone collisions, rollovers, run-off-road accidents, and head-on collisions are the most common types of accidents experienced due to driver error in Uber and Lyft vehicles in Washington.

Common Injuries in Uber/Lyft Accidents in Seattle

Injury victims in Uber and Lyft car accidents in Seattle may experience life-altering impacts from their injuries, including partial or total disability with significant financial damages. Even less serious injuries can quickly cause financial hardship with only a single missed paycheck. Common injuries cited in Uber and Lyft accident claims in Washington include the following:

• Head injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Knee injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Fractures
• Soft tissue injuries (sprains and torn ligaments)
• Spinal cord damage
• Lacerations, bruises, and abrasions
• Burns

Serious injuries are expensive, with spiraling medical costs, days, weeks, or months of missed work, and expensive medications and equipment. When someone else’s negligent or reckless actions caused the accident—like an Uber or Lyft driver or another motorist—the injury victim shouldn’t be responsible for the financial damages they sustain from their injuries.

How Can a Seattle Rideshare Accident Attorney Help With a Claim?

You may have to file claims with multiple insurance companies (the driver’s and Uber and/or Lyft’s). It can be difficult keeping up with the communication from multiple insurance companies as well as developing the evidence required to receive the maximum settlement amount.

Insurance companies are motivated to convince you to settle for less than you deserve. They know that you are recovering from an injury and are vulnerable. An experienced Seattle Uber accident lawyer will signal to the insurance company that you won’t fall for their underhanded tricks and low-ball offers.

Be Wary of Common Insurance Company Tactics to Deny a Claim

Accidents with serious injuries quickly become expensive as well as painful and debilitating. The consequences of an accident are your “damages” in a car accident claim, including an Uber or Lyft accident claim. Sadly, insurance companies commonly protect their profits at the injury victim’s expense by undervaluing or denying claims. Be on guard against common insurance company tactics such as the following:

• Calling very soon after the accident with a low settlement offer that requires signing away your right to a lawsuit. Typically this offer comes before you know the full extent of your damages and is significantly less than you’d win in a lawsuit
• Calling on a recorded line and using your casual remarks out of context against you
• Claiming that their insurance coverage wasn’t in effect at the time the accident occurred
• Denying that your doctor’s recommended treatment is necessary for your injury
• Asking for medical authorization to review your injury and then combing through your medical history to find a pre-existing condition or previous injury they can claim as the cause of your symptoms

After a rideshare accident, it’s always best to hire an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney and then direct all communication with the insurance company to your lawyer. The Seattle Uber/Lyft accident lawyers at Fang Law Firm can anticipate and counteract these common insurance company tactics by documenting evidence of liability and carefully calculating your damages to maximize your financial recovery.

Proving Liability in an Uber/Lyft Accident Claim in Seattle

All drivers on the roadway must follow traffic laws and avoid distractions. This is part of the duty all motorists have to behave reasonably on the road. When an Uber or Lyft accident occurs, it often takes a thorough investigation to determine how the accident occurred, who was at fault, and how the at-fault party’s negligence caused the accident. An accident attorney from Fang Law Firm will document enough evidence to prove liability by demonstrating the following legal points of liability:

• That the at-fault party owed a duty of care to take reasonable measures to prevent causing injuries to others on the road
• They breached this duty by acting negligently or recklessly
• Their breach of duty of care directly caused injuries
• The injury victim suffered significant economic and non-economic damages from the accident

In an Uber or Lyft accident, the liable party could be the rideshare driver, another driver, or in less common cases, the manufacturer of a defective auto part, a negligent road maintenance agency, or a construction crew that left debris in the road. Your attorney will present the evidence in a demand package to the appropriate insurance company, either the driver’s private insurance, their rideshare insurance, or against another at-fault party, and then begin negotiations for an ample settlement for your damages.

Rideshare Accident Statistics

After suffering serious injuries in a rideshare accident, you may feel overwhelmed and as though you’re the only one dealing with this type of complex accident claim, but the truth is that rideshare accidents are on the rise as this form of transportation increases in popularity. Some alarming Uber/Lyft accident statistics include the following:

• A recent study found that overall accident fatality numbers across the U.S. have increased by three percent since the rise of the rideshare industry
• Rideshare assault claims are also on the rise
• Injuries to pedestrians by rideshare drivers have increased
• Waiting for a rideshare driver is the most dangerous part of the rideshare experience, with a sharp increase in rideshare-related pedestrian accidents
• 90% of rideshare accidents occur in urban areas
• Public transportation riders have significantly decreased since the development of rideshare apps
• Uber and Lyft rides now amount to about 45 rides per second across the U.S.

How Can I Recover Compensation After an Accident?

If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident that required hospitalization, surgery, or extensive rehabilitation you may be wondering how to recover financially from the at-fault person. A Seattle Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can help.

If you’re a driver

Uber and Lyft work on a period system, the period you are in will depend on the type of coverage you are afforded and the claims process you will need to follow in order to recover.

• Period 0: You are not in driver mode. Uber or Lyft insurance does not apply if you are involved in an accident in this period. You can only seek recovery from your own insurance or the at-fault party’s insurance.
• Period 1: You are logged into the app but you have not accepted a ride. Uber or Lyft’s third-party insurance applies and will cover third-party injuries and damage in the event of an accident IF your insurance doesn’t apply. You have to make a claim on your own policy first before Uber or Lyft steps in. If you do not have a commercial insurance policy or rideshare endorsement on your personal policy, a claim related to rideshare could result in the cancellation of your personal coverage.
• Period 2 & 3: You’ve matched with a rider and are on the way to pick them up/during the ride. Your rider and anyone who is involved in the accident (if you are found at fault) is covered by Uber or Lyft’s liability insurance. Both Uber and Lyft carry up to $1,000,000 in third-party liability insurance. In this period, Uber and Lyft also provide for collision coverage that will cover damages to your vehicle. However, Uber and Lyft require you to pursue coverage through your personal insurance policy before Uber or Lyft collision coverage kicks in. Remember, if you do not have a rideshare endorsement on your personal policy or do not have insurance that covers rideshare, you may lose your personal coverage and Uber or Lyft’s coverage won’t kick in.

If you’re a passenger

As a passenger, you are covered by Uber or Lyft’s third-party liability insurance policy from the moment you get in the vehicle to the moment you step out. However, you will need to seek recovery from the driver’s personal insurance before Uber or Lyft will step in. Uber or Lyft’s third party liability insurance will cover your damages if they exceed the driver’s personal insurance coverage.

What to Do After an Accident in an Uber or Lyft Ride

An Uber or Lyft accident is just like any other car accident, but the claims process is a little more difficult. Follow these steps if you’ve been involved in an Uber or Lyft accident:

• Collect the other drivers contact information and insurance information
• Take pictures of the damage and the scene
• Call 911 if there are any life threatening injuries
• Notify the rideshare company immediately from within the app
• File a police report
• Get checked out at urgent care for any minor injuries
• Call an Uber or Lyft accident attorney

Following these steps will increase your chances of maximizing your settlement amount.

Evidence Of Medical Costs After After an Uber or Lyft Accident

After a car accident, it’s critical to seek immediate medical care, not only for your health and safety but also to protect yourself financially. Going straight to the hospital in an ambulance, or arranging transportation to a hospital straight from the accident scene, proves that the injuries occurred in the accident. At the hospital, do the following:

• Ask for a complete medical evaluation as well as treatment for any obvious injuries
• Tell the doctor about all of your symptoms, even if they are mild—some injuries take hours or days to fully develop or to show symptoms and it’s important to document that they occurred in the accident
• Ask the provider for a detailed medical report listing your injuries, the doctor’s recommendations for treatment, and your prognosis for recovery
• Carefully follow your doctor’s recommendations, including attending every appointment and filling all prescriptions
• Save copies of all medical bills and receipts for related expenses
• Ask for a copy of the police report

After gathering your evidence, call the Uber/Lyft accident attorneys at Fang Law Firm in Seattle. Avoid posting on social media until after you resolve your claim.

What Damages Can I Recover in an Uber or Lyft Accident Claim?

Once your Seattle Uber/Lyft accident attorney documents evidence of liability and determines the appropriate insurance coverage, they will carefully calculate your economic and non-economic damages to maximize the amount of compensation you can recover after your accident. Common damage claims after rideshare accidents include compensation for the following:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses for further treatment or rehabilitation if required
• Lost wages
• Future income loss and/or diminished earning capacity due to disability
• Pain and suffering
• Other non-economic damages that might apply such as loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium (the ability to enjoy a full physical and emotional relationship with a loved one), disfigurement compensation, or emotional trauma

While compensation for non-economic damages is intangible and more difficult to quantify, it can substantially increase the amount an injury victim recovers in their claim. This provides a sense of justice after a serious accident as well as compensation to ease the financial hardship caused by the injury.

Fang Law Firm Can Help

We have decades of experience in accident litigation. We are standing by to assist you in recovering a settlement that will pay your medical bills and cover your lost wages. Call us today at (206) 489-5140 for a free case consultation. One of our knowledgeable Seattle Lyft accident attorneys will review your case and chart the best path for financial recovery.