Let’s face it, the average person doesn’t exactly have a firm grasp of the law or the legal system. It isn’t as if it takes half a decade of schooling to be certified to work in the field.
When it comes to gray areas and emerging laws, even the experts find it hard to break down. In the case of getting injured by a rideshare, you need an Uber accident attorney to mitigate the problems inherent in such a case.
The odds of getting into an accident in a vehicle are already some of the highest of daily activities. This, and data shows that as many as 51% of young adults have used rideshares for convenience.
If you’re worried about injury or have been injured, the following will help you understand the difficulties and problems that arise with these particular incidents.
Uber Accident Lawyer
An experienced rideshare attorney knows the state laws regarding fault in traffic and vehicle accidents. Further, they understand the murky nature of third parties and the separation between contractors and companies.
Whether you are injured in a rideshare or injured as a driver of a rideshare, you need to understand how all the legal pieces fit together.
In meeting with a lawyer, you want to be aware of the following five questions to help understand your standing in a potential case.
1. Who Gets Sued?
This is an important question for many. Despite the pain of an injury and the potential loss of mobility and earning potential, most people are reluctant to put another person into the situation they struggle with.
The average person is far more likely to pursue a legal matter against a corporation than a private citizen.
At one point, the third-party contractors that worked for the named company were considered to be independent. They carried the branding for a particular service but were considered to be regular people beyond that.
Currently, a driver logged into an app carries insurance through the company as long as they are on-duty and operating in the capacity of the service.
Still, an experienced attorney will be able to hold the company to task if they try to assert that the driver was not official at the time of an accident.
2. Statute of Limitations?
It isn’t easy to make a decision right after an accident. Not only are the facts of the matter still uncertain, but it’s more than likely you’ll have other things to worry about.
It’s also difficult to make long-term decisions in short amounts of time. This is why knowing the statute of limitations in filing a case is important.
For a traffic accident with property, the limit tends to be three years. For injuries to people, it is five years with some exceptions for delayed onset of some types of injuries. Reproductive injuries and injuries to minors can take time to be seen and the statute of limitations starts when the problems are diagnosed.
In dealing with the statute of limitations, it’s always best to check with an attorney in your state such as this Uber accident lawyer in Houston.
3. Who Pays Immediate Bills?
Hiring an attorney isn’t always something you have money laying around for. Paying medical bills and dealing with a loss of income are by far more pressing expenses.
Many states have programs that actually help with medical bills in the form of loans held by the contingency of a court case. These exist to help mitigate costs while processing an accident or injury claim.
Most times, a car accident lawyer also works on contingency. They get paid as part of the settlement and do not charge up-front.
Your own medical insurance should also cover costs with money to cover a deductible being a component of a settlement package.
4. Who Gathers Evidence?
An afterthought for many, and an impossibility for those incapacitated at the site of an accident, is how to gather evidence of the accident.
Depending on the scope of the accident, local police or accident investigators will look into the details immediately after an accident. Additional records surrounding an incident are requested by attorneys during discovery.
When possible, it’s best for you to take down information at the scene including the names of people involved, license plates and insurance information of those involved, and to document the time after. Documenting bills, time lost from work, and other applicable paperwork all serve to create a solid picture of what life is like post-accident.
As a passenger in an accident, you have the most protection. As a driver, you want to be clear on your state of mind and your actions leading up to the accident. In states with split or distributed fault, every detail matters in limiting your liability.
5. Size of Compensation and Settlement?
This is a difficult question to put an exact number to. The amount depends heavily on key factors such as total or partial liability, the extent of injuries sustained, and the damages and costs after the fact. Damages to replace property or damaged vehicles are included in ‘damages’.
A totaled vehicle gets treated differently.
However, a settlement package aims to cover all of that including the court costs, attorney fees, and a compensation amount on top. If there are punitive damages levied against the party at fault, this number can go up quite a lot.
Punitive damages are rare but an Uber or Lyft lawyer getting involved from the corporate office would indicate this as a possibility. Punitive damages from gross negligence lead to the biggest settlements but are rare in rideshare cases.
Be Aware
Finding a good Uber accident lawyer doesn’t have to be taxing or tricky. The most important things to consider are the outcome you hope for (which this article should help you understand in scope) and the parameters of the case.
After being injured by the acts of a third-party driver, it’s important that you fight back to ensure proper treatment of other motorists in the future. Vigilance and lawsuits hold people accountable.
Check back here for more information about issues and situations in your world.
