Uber or Lyft Car Accident Claims
Las Vegas, Nevada
Laws & accident liability claims
Today, when Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies became permanent parts of Las Vegas life, a new reality emerged — Uber and Lyft car accidents. If your accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver resulted in a severe injury and required hospitalization, or if you couldn't work as a result of this accident, call us at 702-432-1000 to discuss your case.
Who is liable?
Indeed, the big question becomes, who is liable, and who will pay for medical expenses? Who will compensate for your pain, suffering, and lost wages when the ridesharing company is involved?
The short answer is that both the at-fault driver and the ridesharing company are responsible.
Where settlement comes from
When Uber driver is involved, in 2021, the settlement money can come from:
- The Uber driver's insurance that everyone is required to have by law.
- Uber liability insurance is attached to every ride.
- A 3rd party insurance, when the person who caused the crash is not the Uber driver.
The same is true if the Lyft driver is involved in a car accident.
Causes of Uber accidents
Like taxi drivers, the ridesharing company's drivers are on the road for many hours every day. If you spend too much time driving, the chances are - you will get into a car accident.
Common causes of Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing company's accidents include:
• Amateur drivers behind the wheel.
• The driver is texting while driving.
• Poor health conditions of a driver.
• The driver is preoccupied with using the app or GPS and not paying attention to the road
• The driver's car is not maintained correctly.
• The driver is new to Las Vegas and unfamiliar with the local rules of the road.
Driver fatigue and accidents
Unlike the heavily regulated trucking or taxi business, no one watches how many hours an Uber or Lyft driver works. It is not uncommon for Uber drivers to work a 12-hour shift. Accidents are bound to happen when drivers work under stress, lack of sleep, or fatigue.
The complexity of accident cases
No two car accident cases are the same. However, the insurance claim process for Uber and Lyft is much more complicated than that for regular taxi, car, or truck accidents.
• First, multiple insurers are involved.
• Second, the attorney must file more insurance claims.
• Third, the maximum liability coverage per accident is different.
• Also, the claims are processed differently if the at-fault driver is an uninsured motorist (driver without coverage) or an underinsured motorist (driver with minimum coverage).
Taxi vs. Uber or Lyft
Taxi drivers have liability coverage of over a million per accident. Although, they don't provide coverage when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. In cases like these, you are on your own. Uber and Lyft, on the contrary, will pay these claims.
Regular cars vs. Uber or Lyft
If the at-fault driver is a driver with car insurance, they most likely have only the minimum liability coverage required by law. At this time, the minimum liability coverage is $25,000 in Nevada. Uber and Lyft have commercial auto insurance policies.
Multi-vehicle accidents
It makes no difference for the amount of compensation you receive if multiple vehicles are involved in an Uber or Lyft accident in Las Vegas.
If you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft car during the accident, you would be compensated for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have any specific questions about your Las Vegas accident, call at 702-432-1000 and ask to speak with an Uber accident lawyer.
What to do after the accident
If you got injured in a car accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver, here is what you need to do:
- First, assess your injuries. Make sure you are OK. Can you move? Do you need an ambulance? If you are OK, then proceed to the next step.
- Take pictures of the license plates of all vehicles involved.
- Take photos of all drivers and passengers affected.
- Take pictures of the surrounding area.
- Note the time and location of the accidents.
- When the police arrive, give a statement and make sure you have a card from an incident report. You will need that card with the incident number to file a claim.
- Contact an attorney with experience handling Uber, Lyft, or any other ridesharing car accident claims. In many ways, the claim process is different when the ridesharing company is involved.
Car accidents and social media
People are inherently social beings, and sharing life events on social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others is common nowadays. However, if you've been injured in a car accident and are awaiting a settlement from the insurance company, you should be aware that your posts are not just seen by friends and family. Insurance adjusters also monitor these posts and compare what you share online with the information your attorney provides to the insurance company.
Furthermore, even if you delete your posts, the insurance company will subpoena your social media account's content and use your deleted posts, comments, images, and videos as evidence during the trial.
So, when you are in a lawsuit, we recommend limiting your social media posts to the minimum or, even better, stopping posting anything.
Uber accident lawyer can help
Ridesharing is relatively new in Las Vegas, yet the attorneys at Heshmati & Associates have already successfully settled dozens of ridesharing car accident cases.
If you got injured in a car accident involving a driver from Uber, Lyft, or another ridesharing company, and if an accident occurred in Las Vegas, you need to hire a local attorney experienced in handling these types of claims.
We invite you to call us at 702-432-1000 to discuss your car accident.
Our no-fee promise
All car accident cases, including Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies, the attorneys at Heshmati & Associates take on a contingency basis. You don't have to pay a penny unless we settle your case or receive monetary compensation at the trial.
We serve clients in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, North Las Vegas, and the surrounding area of Nevada.
We also represent tourists injured while visiting Nevada.
Further, since some of our attorneys are licensed to practice law in Nevada and California, call us if your ridesharing accident happened in California but you are a Nevada resident.
Last updated on May 21, 2024.
