Navigating Rideshare Accidents in Texas: Your Guide to Uber Accident Claims & Legal Rights
Rideshare services provide unprecedented convenience and affordability for those who use them. As the Texas population grows, so does the demands for Uber and Lyft and the number of rideshare vehicles on the road. While these vehicles and their drivers are generally safe, accidents do happen. When they do, they cause injuries and fatalities in addition to confusion and legal complexities for those who seek compensation for the damages that occur. It is therefore crucial that all Texas residents understand their legal rights and the legal process of seeking claims following rideshare accidents.
What Are Your Legal Rights?
You have the right to hold the driver and the rideshare company responsible following a rideshare accident. While you can navigate the required processes on your own, that is never a good idea. There are complexities and subtleties you need to understand when navigating rideshare accidents in Texas as well as in how these companies handle accident claims and what should happen under Texas law. Fortunately, an experienced rideshare accident injury lawyer can help you with filing a lawsuit or negotiating a settlement with the relevant insurance companies.
What to Do Following a Rideshare Accident
Whether you are a passenger or a pedestrian struck by a rideshare vehicle, the first step is ensuring your safety and seeking medical attention. Check yourself for injuries, get to a safe area, and call 911. Medical professionals should arrive at the scene to treat your injuries. The police will create a report that details how the accident occurred, who is likely at fault, road conditions, the final position of the vehicle or vehicles involved, and other relevant details.
This report will be crucial during a lawsuit or when seeking compensation because it can further strengthen eyewitness statements of what happened. It can also help your Uber accident injury lawyer ensure that only the driver or Uber is held liable for your injuries and damages.
Gathering Information
The strength of your lawsuit or settlement negotiations will depend on how much evidence you have and what the evidence says regarding who is at fault. Start by collecting the driver’s information, including their names and contact information. Do this for the other driver if they struck your vehicle if you were not a passenger at the time.
Next, collect the vehicle’s license plate number and description. You can also describe its condition following the accident. Although illegal, a driver might take their vehicle to a mechanic to get repaired to hide the evidence. Having a report of what it looked like immediately following the accident can circumvent this.
The rideshare accident law firm you hire will also need eyewitness statements if they are available. Collect them and the contact information of everyone willing to give them to you. If you are transferred to the hospital following the accident, do not worry about this because it is impossible to find these witnesses after the fact.
If you can, take photographs and shoot videos of the area, final vehicle positions, and other details like skid marks on the road.
Lastly, document your injuries. While these will be supported by your medical records, doctors’ notes, and the treatments you get, it is always helpful to have videos and photographs of them.
Report the Accident
Uber and Lyft provide options for reporting an accident through their app. The report should only contain the facts, and you should be careful not to suggest you could be liable. You should also contact your insurance company.
Doing this will ensure you comply with the terms set in your policy and give them time to assess the situation so they can know what to do.
Hire an Attorney
As mentioned, you can seek compensation or negotiate a settlement on your own, but this is never a good idea. Uber and insurance companies will do everything they can not to pay a claim unless they see no way not to do so. Contacting rideshare accident lawyers Texas as soon as you can gives you the best chance at a favorable settlement. That is in addition to the Uber crash lawyer sending the correct summons and filing your lawsuit correctly.
Because of how important they are to your case’s outcome, take your time and do adequate research before hiring a rideshare accident lawyer. Ensure they have enough experience handling cases similar to yours and have gotten favorable outcomes and significant payouts for their clients.
The best Texas rideshare accident lawyers encourage you to contact them for a free consultation to discuss your case. You can call or visit the offices of Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys, and we will discuss your case. Ensure that you have all your evidence, documentation, and facts ready because that will help the rideshare accident lawyer better understand your case, including how much it could potentially be worth.
Understand Insurance Coverage
You can research how much coverage you are entitled to before or after talking to an insurance accident lawyer. Regardless of when you do, the bottom line is that Uber provides different levels of coverage depending on when the accident happens. The coverage is much lower if you are struck by a driver who has not accepted a passenger and is higher if you are the passenger or if they have picked one up.
Also, the driver's insurance might be responsible for the compensation if the driver was not on duty during the accident. It is best to let your attorney sort this out because the blame game and what happens next can be too complicated.
Settlements and Lawsuits
Uber or the insurance company will likely provide a settlement offer once your rideshare accident attorneys Texas file a lawsuit. Let your attorney(s) handle the negotiations for you. If everything breaks down and you have strong evidence, they can take the case to court and win you a sizable sum.
Do understand that the negotiations can take some time depending on several factors, but your attorney should be ready to go to court if the other parties stall or do not negotiate in good faith.
While they are a convenient option, rideshare vehicles and drivers get into accidents that lead to serious damages. If you are involved in such an accident, you have the right to sue for compensation for the damages incurred. Get medical attention immediately and then hire a rideshare accident injury attorney so they can help you with the necessary processes.
