What Information Is Needed to Determine the Circumstances of Your Uber Accident?

uber accident

Have you been injured in an Uber accident? If you have, you should report the accident to Uber. No specific form is used or required to do so. It can be reported through the Uber app “rate your ride” feature and it is usually a good idea to give Uber this notice as soon as possible. Even if you were the other driver involved in the accident caused by the Uber vehicle, you should report the accident to Uber as the company has potential liability exposure and you may very well need to seek liability coverage for the accident pursuant to their commercial liability policy. You should also get the contact information for the driver as well as noting the date, time, and location of the accident.
You should also call 911 immediately after the accident. This will not only mean paramedics will be dispatched to treat any injuries at the scene, but it also means that law enforcement will arrive and an official accident report will be generated as a result. This will be a central piece of evidence in any personal injury claim you want to pursue later on and can provide critical information in determining the circumstances of your Uber accident. What type of information will be needed for such a determination? We will talk more about this here.

What Information is Needed to Determine the Circumstances of Your Uber Accident?

Rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors which means they are not employed by companies like Uber. They work pursuant to a contract and must meet certain criteria as well as maintaining the vehicles they drive at a set standard. Despite these requirements, they are still not employees. In most situations, companies are not responsible for the actions of independent contractors. An independent contractor is responsible for having their own general liability insurance company. The State of California, however, has requirements for rideshare companies like Uber to have liability insurance that can be applied depending on the circumstances of an accident involving an Uber driver.
One critical piece of information to determine the circumstances of an Uber accident is who was at fault for the crash. If it was someone other than the Uber driver, then the driver would most likely rely on personal auto insurance coverage to cover damages. If the Uber driver is found to be at fault for causing the accident, the next critical piece of information in determining the circumstances of the Uber accident will be the driver’s Uber activity at the time of the accident.
If the Uber driver was not active on the Uber app and was operating the vehicle in his or her capacity as a private citizen, then his or her own private auto insurance would be implicated in the event that he or she causes an accident resulting in injuries. California requires private citizens to carry minimum auto insurance coverage of $15,000 in bodily injury coverage per person and $30,000 per accident as well as $5,000 in property damage coverage per accident.
If the driver was active on the app but had not yet accepted a ride when the accident occurred, Uber’s insurance may come into play if the driver’s insurance coverage was insufficient to cover the damages. In this case, Uber provides up to $100,000 coverage in bodily injury liability for the accident and up to $25,000 in property damage. If the driver was active on the app and paired with a passenger, whether the passenger was in the vehicle yet or not, at the time of the crash, then Uber’s $1 million insurance policy would be implicated.

Contact Our Expert Los Angeles Ridesharing Attorneys Today!

While all accidents require a fact-specific analysis regarding liability and liability coverage, there is an added layer of complexity when an Uber driver is involved. At the Compass Law Group, we are experienced in handling Uber accident cases and we are here to use that experience to your advantage. Contact us today.

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