Brain Injury after an Uber or Lyft Accident
Did you or a member of your family suffer a brain injury after being involved in an Uber or Lyft accident? If so, you might be interested in learning more about the possibility of pursuing a claim against Uber or Lyft for your brain injury. If you are interested in taking legal action for the harm that you suffered, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.
At Downtown L.A. Law Group, our Uber and Lyft accident attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information that you need to take legal action and fight for your right to be compensated. If you would like to discuss your claim with our brain injury experts, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
The Causes of Uber and Lyft Accidents
As the number of Uber and Lyft drivers/vehicles on the road have increased over the years, the number of Uber and Lyft accidents have also increased. Accidents can occur for a number of reasons; however, the most common reason behind auto accidents, including Uber and Lyft accidents, consists of driver negligence. Drivers disregard their safety and the safety of others and act recklessly and carelessly while behind the wheel. Although it is possible for Uber/Lyft drivers to be negligent and directly cause accidents, it is also possible for unaffiliated drivers to cause Uber/Lyft accidents (even if rideshare drivers were being safe). Unfortunately, innocent drivers as well as passengers can suffer a number of injuries, which could change their lives forever.
Brain Injuries as Results of Car Accidents
Head injuries, in general, are common injuries associated with car accidents. In some cases, traumatic brain injuries can occur. Traumatic brain injuries typically occur when the impact of a collision causes the head to strike an object, such as the windshield, the steering wheel, the dashboard, a doorframe, a window, or even another party inside the vehicle.
Brain injuries change the way the brain works and can affect many different physical abilities, including but not limited to the following: coordination, mobility, balance, muscle strength, muscle tone, and muscle control. The senses, including taste, touch, smell, hearing, and vision, could also be affected by a traumatic brain injury.
Those who suffer a brain injury could also start experiencing seizures, issues swallowing, issues with the bladder as well as bowel, and spasticity, for example. Headaches, changes in sleep, fatigue, dizziness, and paralysis are all possible.
In addition to these multiple physical effects, those who suffer a brain injury could also find themselves dealing with sudden mental and emotional issues. Some might include irritability, depression, issues understanding language, and difficulty grasping concepts, for example.
Without a doubt, a brain injury after a car accident can drastically change your life.
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Understanding the Uber and Lyft’s Insurance Policies
If you drive for Uber or Lyft or simply ride as a passenger with these rideshare companies, you should have at least a general understanding of the insurance coverages that might apply if an accident occurs. The insurance coverages provided by these two rideshare companies are very similar.
The first thing to understand is that all rideshare drivers are required to have personal insurance policies. Another important thing to note is that Uber and Lyft’s insurance policies will never apply if an accident occurs while the driver is offline (not using the app) and/or driving for personal reasons.
As soon as the Uber or Lyft driver logs onto the app and is available to accept ride requests, coverage begins. Both companies offer a 50/100/25 liability coverage, which means that coverage includes up to $50,000 per person for bodily injury, up to $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and up to $25,000 per accident for property damage. This coverage is only partial.
As soon as the Uber or Lyft driver accepts a ride request, the coverage changes. During the time that the driver accepts the ride, is on his or her way to pick up the passenger, is driving with the passenger, until the passenger is dropped off, full coverage applies. During this time, coverage includes $1,000,000 in liability, $1,000,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist injuries, and contingent collision and comprehensive coverage (Lyft provides up to $50,000 in coverage with a $2,500 deductible). The only difference between these policies is that Uber requires only a $1,000 deductible for contingent collision and comprehensive coverage.
Would you like to learn more about the insurance coverage offered by Uber and Lyft? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts immediately for more information about Uber and Lyft insurance policies and the ways in which they could apply to your claim.
Could You Sue and Receive Compensation?
Do you have the right to sue Uber or Lyft for the harm that you suffered after being involved in a rideshare accident? Specifically, could you file a claim against Uber or Lyft’s insurance policy if you were injured? As explained above, Uber and Lyft’s insurance policies are contingent; therefore, they will apply only when other insurance policies wont cover (or offer enough coverage).
Do you really have to sue? Many people assume that these insurance companies are ready to payout injured parties; however, even Uber and Lyft’s insurance companies are difficult to work with. Insurance companies, in general, will unnecessarily delay the claim process; they could fail to answer calls, respond to emails, and simply refuse to provide claimants with straight answers. This is all in hopes that claimants will simply withdraw their claims.
If you have legal representation and sue the insurance company, they are more likely to take your claim seriously. Although they will still resort to cheap tricks to delay the process, your attorney will always be there to represent your best interests and to ensure that your claim is handled promptly.
Depending on the details surrounding your claim, you could be eligible to recover monetary compensation upon reaching a successful claim outcome. Could you really be eligible to receive compensation? If so, how much compensation could you receive? What type of compensation could you be eligible to receive?
The type and amount of compensation that is available for recovery will always be based on the details surrounding the claim; however, some claims result in the recovery of some of the following compensation:
- Medical costs
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
As mentioned above, the compensation available for recovery will always depend on the details surrounding the claim; therefore, it is essential to seek legal assistance immediately. If you would like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible if your brain injury Uber or Lyft accident claim reaches a successful outcome, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers will fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve.
Important Steps to Consider Taking
Without a doubt, it can be very difficult to recollect oneself after being involved in an accident – especially if it was a serious accident that resulted in injuries. If you were involved in an Uber or Lyft accident, there are a number of things that you should do. Whether you were harmed as a rideshare driver or as a passenger, you should follow the recommended steps listed below:
- Photograph the scene of the accident (photographing the damage to the vehicles involved is important in understanding how the accident occurred)
- Photograph all physical injuries suffered in the accident
- Get medical attention immediately (contact emergency services if necessary)
- Screenshot the Uber or Lyft app showing that you were on an active ride at the time of the accident
- Collect witness information
- Gather insurance information of all parties involved
- Gather contact information of all parties involved
- Contact Uber or Lyft through their app to report the incident
- Gather medical records (including medical bills)
- Seek the expertise of an Uber and Lyft accident lawyer
When affected parties follow the recommendations listed above, they are essentially gathering the tools necessary to pursue a claim once they decide to do so. If you would like to learn more about the importance of these steps in filing a claim against Uber or Lyft after an accident that resulted in a brain injury, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
Taking Legal Action within the Deadline
As explained above, you might have grounds to file an Uber or Lyft accident claim if you suffered a brain injury in a rideshare accident. There is no doubt that you might have grounds to sue for the harm that you suffered. However, you only have a short length of time to pursue your claim – specifically because your claim is subject to a deadline.
All claims are subject to a statute of limitations; a statute of limitations determines the exact length of time that claimants have to sue. If claimants do not file their claims within the time allowed by the applicable statute of limitations, they will lose their right to sue.
What deadline applies to your Uber or Lyft accident claim? In California, car accident claims in general are typically subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This means that claimants only have two years to file their claims; if they fail to do so, they could lose their right to sue.
It is also important to note that exceptions to the applicable statute of limitations could apply. That is, based on certain details surrounding your claim, the applicable statute of limitations could be tolled.
To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the time that you have to file your claim against Uber or Lyft, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today.
Contact Downtown L.A. Law Group Today
If you or a member of your family suffered a brain injury after being involved in an Uber or Lyft accident, you might have grounds to pursue a claim – after all, the brain injury would have never been suffered if the accident hadn’t occurred. There is no doubt that the brain injury could have significantly affected your quality of life. Depending on the details surrounding the claim, you might have grounds to take legal action. If you would like to learn more about your right to file an accident claim against Uber or Lyft, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including the claims that arise after Uber and Lyft accidents. Our lawyers are knowledgeable on car accident claims and rideshare car accident claims; they are ready to provide you with the legal representation that you need to take legal action for the harm that you suffered.
At our firm, we are dedicated to helping all victims – even those who might fear getting legal help because of legal expenses. Specifically, our firm offers free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you all the information that you might need to start your claim or redirect your claim (given that you might have already started your claim elsewhere). If you would like to benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients will not be required to pay anything for any upfront fees for our legal services. Our firm is also based on a contingency structure, meaning that our clients will not be required to pay anything at all until after reaching a successful claim outcome. This means that if you do not win, you will not be responsible for paying anything.
Would you like the Uber and Lyft accident experts at our firm to evaluate your situation and help you file a claim? If so, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.