Any time you ride in a vehicle that is driven by another person, you place your well-being in their hands and by doing so, you expect them to value your safety. This is especially true when choosing to use ridesharing services, such as Uber or Lyft.
While these services may attempt to stop their drivers from participating in poor driving behaviors, such as texting or another form of distracted driving, the unfortunate truth is that many still do. These behaviors can lead to an accident which may cause harm for you and other passengers involved.
If you’ve been involved in an accident that resulted in serious injuries as the passenger of an Uber, you may be wondering how you will go about seeking compensation for your damages. Many injured victims who come to us for help open with the same question:
“Can I sue my Uber driver for getting into an accident?”
The answer to this question varies from case to case and is based on the details of the accident.
Uber’s Responsibility
Many people are under the impression that since the accident occurred from a driver hired by Uber, the company will be held liable for the accident. It makes sense. Uber certainly has more available funds to pay for the damages than the driver, and they may even be partially responsible in some circumstances. If they failed to conduct a proper background check on the driver they hired, for example.
However, suing the company itself is usually not a viable option, except for situations in which the company's direct actions led to the crash. This is the case because Uber’s drivers are not technically employees, they are instead independent contractors meaning the company generally isn’t held liable for the negligent actions of their drivers.
The good news is that this doesn’t mean your lawsuit will come down to you versus the driver and their own insurance policy, thankfully, as they will rarely (if ever) have the coverage for that. Instead, you are covered under Uber’s $1 million liability policy. If you are injured due to the driver’s negligence, you will sue the at-fault driver (instead of Uber directly) and will serve copies of the lawsuit to the driver and the insurance company.
Need Help With an Uber Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a ridesharing accident determining fault can become quite complex. At Crane Flores, our team of Oxnard personal injury attorneys has many years of experience helping our clients receive the compensation they deserve by holding those negligent liable.
Don’t go through the process alone. Contact us today at (805) 628-4967 to schedule your free case evaluation.