What do I do if I’m in a car accident with an Uber or Lyft vehicle?

What do I do if I’m in a car accident with an Uber or Lyft vehicle?

Ride-sharing or ride-hailing companies have become very popular in and around Louisville and across Kentucky and the nation. At any given time, there are thousands of Lyft and Uber drivers on the roads and highways of Kentucky looking for passengers to ferry around. The most recent estimate is that there are approximately 3.5 million ride-hailing drivers on the roads and highways of the United States. Given this huge increase in Uber and Lyft drivers, there is bound to be a huge increase in Uber and Lyft vehicles getting into car crashes. Automobile crashes involving these types of vehicles are different than a regular car accident. There are other issues that have to be considered making these types of accidents more complicated.

Given the complexity of these crashes and the different insurance involved, hiring a lawyer who has handled many of these Uber and Lyft accident cases is essential in order to protect your rights and get fair compensation for your injuries. If you were injured in a crash that was caused by the negligence of an Uber or Lyft driver, the attorneys at Hessig & Pohl can answer all of your questions and win your case.

So, what do you do if you are involved in a car crash involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle? Because accidents involving Uber or Lyft drivers are more complicated, there are many things that can be done at the scene of the crash that will help your attorney win your case and recover the compensation that you deserve for your injuries. Uber’s or Lyft’s insurance companies and their drivers’ insurance companies will have teams of lawyers, adjusters and investigators fighting to deny you fair compensation. It is only right that you have a team on your side that is experienced in handling Uber accident cases. Here are some of the things that you can do to help us win your case:

  • Call 911 as soon as possible and report the accident. Obviously, the faster EMTs get to the scene to treat the injured, the better. Also, the sooner police get there they can direct traffic to make sure there are no secondary crashes which happen all the time. Further, the police can begin an investigation into the cause of the accident and determine who is at fault.
  • Note if the at-fault driver, whether it be the ride-share driver or another vehicle is acting in any way intoxicated such as slurred speech or stumbling/falling over. Also note if the at-fault driver is attempting to destroy evidence of being intoxicated by throwing away bottles or cans of alcohol from the truck cab.
  • Attempt to get the names, addresses and phone numbers of everyone involved including anyone who could potentially be a witness.
  • Use your smartphone to take pictures so that you can record what the scene of the crash was like right after it happened. Take photos of the entire area so that, if necessary, your Uber accident lawyer will be able to get a good sense of the roadway and how the crash happened. Get detailed pictures of the damage to the vehicles and even pictures of skid marks, which an expert can use to determine rate of speed and direction of vehicles.
  • Be cooperative and honest with the investigating police officer when he or she asks you to provide a statement of what happened. Do not exaggerate anything but also do not leave any facts out, even if you think it might not matter. Possibly, it might matter at trial.

If you have been injured in a car accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, the lawyers at Hessig & Pohl will be able to help you. Schedule a free, no obligation consultation today to review your claim and discuss your legal options. No upfront payment is required and you only pay us if we recover compensation for you. Please contact us here or at (502) 777-1111.