Uber and Lyft Accident Attorneys in Daytona Beach, Florida
Transportation changed when Uber launched in 2009, and again when Lyft launched in 2012. An alternative to traditional taxis, Uber and Lyft are apps that connect a person who owns a car with a person who needs a ride. These can be short rides down the road or long trips across the city. They have become increasingly popular as a method of getting around, and with that increased popularity has come a new type of accident and new questions about how to deal with them.
With the advent and increased presence of this new method of transportation, a new batch of legal challenges came into being. It is an emerging field of legal practice where many different areas of practice intersect, such as auto accident law, personal injury law, and corporate legal proceedings. It can be extremely difficult to navigate on your own, requiring you to deal with both the rideshare company and multiple insurance companies.
With so many factors going into the legal proceedings, it is vital you have legal help in your corner to protect your rights and get you the compensation you are entitled to. If you have been in a rideshare vehicle that was involved in an accident, call the Eberst Law firm today to find out about your legal options.
What Is Ridesharing?
In the past, ridesharing was essentially just carpooling. Passengers covered half the cost of a trip when both the driver of the car and the rider were heading in the same direction. Today, with the advent of apps like Uber and Lyft, drivers often rideshare for profit, offering transportation services like a taxi. Some have made ridesharing into their day job, putting thousands of miles on their cars every year ferrying residents and tourists through their home cities.
Ubers and Lyfts are not hailed like traditional taxis. App users connect to drivers via use of a smartphone app, with the drivers having the choice to accept the rider and take them to their destination. All fare payments are handled by the app, so there’s no direct transfer of physical money between the driver and the rider. The fare can be split using the app, so small parties of riders all traveling in the same vehicle can pay an even share of the cost.
Uber and Lyft also offer ridepooling services for more economical riders. Drivers will pick up passengers and head to the destination, and are free to pick up other riders along the route heading to the same destination or another along the same route. Once they reach the initial destination, the rideshare driver can then switch to doing standard rides or do another ridepool trip.
Rideshare Accident Statistics
Ridesharing has become incredibly popular since its advent, with businesses adjusting to accommodate. There are now rideshare lanes in airport terminals and hotel fronts, and outside sports arenas.
Despite the benefits and the convenience of ridesharing, there are some negative aspects to their increased popularity. Ridesharing has been attributed to a small increase in auto accident fatalities, about 1000 additional deaths per year. It has also led to an increase of vehicles on the road, leading to congestion.
Some people may turn to doing rideshare driving in a pinch to help them through a tight economic spot, and they may be unfamiliar with the areas they have to operate in. This can lead to behaviors that have a tendency to cause accidents, such as driving distracted as they repeatedly check their phone GPS to make sure they’re heading the right way.
What To Do After A Rideshare Accident
Insurance situations involving ridesharing accidents can be complicated. Some cities like New York actually passed an ordinance requiring drivers to carry personal injury insurance, and ridesharing companies have their own insurance policies for their drivers. These layered policies can contradict each other, leading to legal quagmires.
There are steps you can take to protect your own rights in the event of you being in a rideshare vehicle during an accident.
- Seek medical attention, no matter how minor your injuries seem.
- Contact law enforcement to report the accident.
- Take your own photographs of the scene, and write some personal notes in order to remember the sequence of events.
- Report the incident to the rideshare company, and confirm they received your accident report.
- Consult with an attorney in order to have a go-between for all the parties involved in sorting out responsibility and damages for the accident.
Recent Rideshare Lawsuits
- Florida Suit Accuses Lyft of Defective App Design Following Crash That Injured Pedestrian
- Uber passenger https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2019/04/12/florida-suit-accuses-lyft-of-defective-app-design-following-crash-that-injured-pedestrian/?slreturn=20200009132130killed by drunk driver on New Year’s Eve, police say
- New Year’s Eve DUI crash takes life of 61-year-old man in North Port
Getting A Fair Claim For A Rideshare Accident
In the aftermath of a rideshare accident, in addition to any harm you may have suffered during the accident itself, you may find yourself caught up in a legal quagmire between the Uber driver’s insurance company and your own. In difficult situations like that, you’ll need legal help in your corner.
That’s where we come in. The attorneys at The Eberst Law Firm have experience in this new legal field, and we can help you get the damages you are entitled to so you can focus on recuperating after the accident. Our Daytona Beach team can be reached online here, or by phone at (386) 224-6544.
