The Texas Rideshare Accident Guide was created by Chavez Law Firm to help El Paso residents recover the rightful compensation they deserve after being seriously injured.
Download Our Free Rideshare Accident Guide
If you have been seriously injured in a rideshare accident, you may be feeling worried about your future. You deserve to see full and fair compensation from the liable party’s insurance company. Our El Paso rideshare accident attorneys can help guide you through your case to get you a successful outcome.
After you read about your rideshare accident, please do not hesitate to call Chavez Law Firm to get a free initial consultation. Rideshare accidents can seem complicated but we can answer any of your big questions.
Insurance Obstacles You May Face When Involved in a Ridesharing Accident
There are likely going to be obstacles when you ask the insurance company for compensation for your injuries and damages. Here are some key pieces of information to know when pursuing compensation after a rideshare accident:
- Some insurance companies have loopholes that minimize their responsibility.
- Uber and Lyft don’t have protection for their drivers because it’s a contract job.
- Uber and Lyft are not required to give injured drivers workers’ compensation.
Other forms of transportation such as trains, taxis, and buses have very different insurance policies which protect you if you are severely injured in an accident. Uber and Lyft vary from that slightly. While they do offer some protections and coverage for their passengers, their drivers are not so well protected. Their policies include loopholes that can really make things tricky. They categorize their employees as contractors so that they are not required by law to protect them in the case of an accident. Also, because their drivers are contractors, they are not eligible for workers’ compensation, which makes it that much more challenging. If you have a trusted El Paso rideshare accident attorney on your side, they will be able to discuss all of your legal options as well as protect your best interests.
El Paso Uber and Lyft Accidents
One big selling point with an Uber or a Lyft is that you can opt to take one rather than getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. The convenience of having the app right in your pocket makes it a marketable tool. The idea of having this accessibility to a safe way home was intended to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents on the road.
Unfortunately, a study done in 2016 showed that companies such as Lyft and Uber have not affected the number of traffic accidents ending in fatalities on the road. In fact, each year, the number of fatal traffic accidents seems to increase.
What you may not know about these rideshare companies is that, unlike bus and taxi drivers, the drivers who work for rideshare do not have to go through special training to get their job. The only requirement is that they have their own car, their own insurance, and a valid driver’s license. That means that your driver is about as likely to get in an accident as any other person on the road.
Avoid Ruining Your Rideshare Case
Like in any personal injury case, there is one sure way to jeopardize your chance of receiving full compensation— giving the insurance company a recorded statement. Shortly after the accident, you will likely be receiving a call from the liable party’s insurance company asking you to give them a recorded statement. You should understand that there is no legal obligation for you to give them a recorded statement. They will tell you that your case will resolve quicker, but that is not always in your best interest. If they get you to slip up during your interview, they will have that on record and can use it against you to reduce the amount of compensation that they owe you— something you certainly want to avoid. If you get an attorney on your case right away, they can protect you from this happening and take over all communication to protect your rights.
Frequently Asked Rideshare Accident Questions
How Should I Choose a Ridesharing Accident Attorney?
When choosing an attorney for your case involving a rideshare crash, it is very important that you hire an attorney who has trial experience and experience in this area of the law. Without an experienced trial attorney or an attorney with experience in this area of the law, you risk not getting fully and fairly compensated for the injuries that you or your loved one have suffered as a result of somebody else’s negligence. An experienced trial attorney in this area of the law can guide you, in terms of the medical treatment that you or your loved one needs, and also guide you through the legal process of getting full and fair compensation.
If you have questions about your rideshare case, please give us a call. We’re ready and willing to answer your questions in this regard.
What Are the Common Mistakes After a Ridesharing Accident?
Common mistakes that people make after being involved in a rideshare collision or crash is, one, not seeking immediate medical attention. The other one is talking to the insurance adjuster or representative of the rideshare company, or, if it was another driver that was involved in the collision with the rideshare company, talking to their insurance adjuster. The reason this is a mistake is that these insurance adjusters or representatives aren’t asking fair questions, and they’re not there to get at the truth. Rather, they’re there to try to get their own party – either the rideshare company or the other negligent driver – off the hook so that they’re not held accountable for the injuries that they’ve caused.
It’s very important that the very next thing you do is hire an experienced trial attorney with experience in this area of the law. If you have questions about this type of incident and what you should do or what one of your loved ones should do, give us a call. We’re more than happy and ready and willing to answer your questions about your case in this area of the law.
Should I Give a Recorded Statement After a Ridesharing Accident?
If you are seriously injured in a rideshare wreck or crash, it is never a good idea to talk to the insurance company adjuster and give a statement before talking to an experienced trial attorney with experience in this area of the law. Insurance adjusters and rideshare agents are not in the business of getting to the truth, as they may say. They’re in the business of trying to absolve their own company or their insurance company from responsibility for paying full and fair compensation for the injuries that you have suffered.
Before speaking to the insurance company, find and hire an experienced trial lawyer with experience in this type of situation and this type of case. If you have any questions in this regard, give us a call. We are ready and willing to answer any question that you may have in this type of situation.
How Can I Recover Lost Wages After a Ridesharing Accident?
Oftentimes my clients who are injured in cases involving rideshare or the negligence of other drivers while they’re in a rideshare situation ask me whether or not they can recover lost wages due to lost time from work. The answer is yes. You can recover lost wages or lost income due to losing time from work.
For example, if you used sick leave for the time you were off work, you are entitled to compensation for all the time you took, even if your employer provides that sick leave for the time that you were out of work due to your injuries.
If you have any questions about whether you are entitled to damages for lost income as a result of being involved in a rideshare incident, give us a call. We’re more than willing and able to answer any question you might have in this regard.
What Steps Should I Take After a Ridesharing Accident?
If you have been involved in a ridesharing accident, the most important thing you can do is seek medical treatment immediately. Next, you should look for and find an experienced attorney who has trial experience and has experience in this area of the law. A skilled attorney, like the ones at Chavez Law, can guide you through the maze of medical treatment you need and deserve, and also guide you through the maze that is this legal field.
If you have any questions and if you or a loved one have been injured in a rideshare collision or incident, please give us a call.
What is the Timeline for a Ridesharing Accident Injury Case?
Sometimes clients who have been injured in rideshare crashes or incidents ask me how long a case will take. It depends on a couple of factors. One is how long it will take for the client to go through the medical treatment. Obviously, the longer the medical treatment goes on, the longer it takes to resolve the case. The reason for this is very simple – we have to wait until the treatment is done so that we have a full and complete picture as to what the injuries are, what the medical expenses are and what the prospects for returning to normal life are.
The other thing that takes a long time or is a factor in determining how long these cases take is whether or not the rideshare company, or maybe the other negligent driver’s insurance company, are negotiating in good faith. The truth of the matter is the only cases that go to trial are cases in which the insurance company or the rideshare company representative aren’t negotiating in good faith.
If you have any questions about your rideshare case or your loved one’s rideshare case, please give us a call. We’re ready to answer your questions.
Call Our El Paso Rideshare Accident Attorneys Today
If you have suffered injuries in a rideshare accident, you deserve full and fair compensation. Our El Paso rideshare accident attorneys are here to guide you every step of the way to get you the results you deserve. Call Chavez Law Firm to set up your free initial consultation.