Just like all drivers on the road, Uber and Lyft have a responsibility to keep passengers and other motorists safe. So if you were involved in an accident with one of these for-hire drivers, you should take necessary precautions to protect your safety and document the scene to protect your ability to pursue financial damages from the rideshare companies.
Get insights into the proper steps and procedures following an Uber or Lyft car accident and the process for filing a claim with the rideshare company.
What to Do After an Uber or Lyft Car Accident in Indiana
Follow these steps after an Indiana Uber or Lyft car accident to ensure your wellbeing and protect your ability to pursue damages from the company.
1. Get to a safe place
Accident scenes are often in the middle of the road or a busy intersection. Your first concern should be to get to a safe place to protect yourself from further harm. If you’re unable to move after the accident, call 911 for help and tell them that it’s urgent because you are not in a safe location.
2. Call 911
The local authorities should come out to file a police report. And if you or anyone else involved in the accident suffered serious injuries, make sure dispatch sends an ambulance. The sooner you seek medical care, the more likely you’ll be to make a full recovery.
3. Seek medical attention
Even if you don’t leave the accident scene in an ambulance, you should seek medical care immediately, even if you only have minor aches and pains. The longer you wait to get evaluated, the more doubt that it can cast into your case that your injuries were truly from the car accident and not another source or pre-existing condition.
4. Collect evidence if possible
If you’re able to collect evidence at the scene, you should do your best to do so. Take photos of the accident scene and the scene’s surroundings. If there are skid marks on the roadway, take photos of those or photograph the intersection’s signage. Photograph all vehicle damage to aid in setting the scene for your attorney.
5. Hire a car accident attorney
Get an attorney involved as soon as possible. Trying to start negotiations alone could lead to problems later on in your case. Saying the wrong thing could be highly detrimental to your case. Or negotiating a settlement alone could mean that you don’t include future medical expenses or decreased earning capacity, which means your settlement won’t cover your long-term expenses or ongoing medical expenses.
Uber and Lyft Insurance Policy Information
Rideshare companies provide their drivers with insurance when actively serving the company. This means that the driver must be on their way to pick up a passenger, have a passenger in the car for an active trip or be dropping the passenger at their destination.
If the driver is actively serving a customer, the following insurance coverage and limits could apply.
- $50,000 per person in bodily injury
- $100,000 of coverage per accident
- $25,000 for property damage in a covered accident
- At least $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage
The rideshare company also likely has uninsured or underinsured coverage if you’re a passenger in the vehicle and another driver is at fault but has poor car insurance coverage. Although it might not seem apparent at first how to pursue compensation for injuries, working with an attorney will help you understand how to get financial coverage for your injuries.
Areas of Compensation You Can Claim
If you were hurt in an Uber or Lyft accident, you can pursue compensation for the following financial damages.
- Medical bills, both current and future for ongoing ailments
- Missed work or reduced earning capacity due to your injuries
- Pain and suffering
If you need assistance sorting through a complicated Indiana rideshare accident whether you were a driver, passenger or third-party, contact Stewart & Stewart. Our team provides a free case evaluation to guide you in the best next steps based on the evidence.