accident injuries
Menu
Call Toll-Free 24 Hours:

Who is Responsible for My Rideshare Accident Injuries?

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

With the rising popularity of rideshare apps and companies, more people are choosing the convenience of Lyft or Uber over driving their own vehicles. Unfortunately, the roads are always riddled with accidents, even in rideshare cars, and you may need a car injury lawyer if you are involved in one of these events.

Whether you’ve been out with friends and had a few cocktails, need a ride to the airport, or just want to work while sitting in downtown traffic instead of driving, rideshares offer an affordable transportation option for people around the world. The companies do offer their driver’s accident coverage, combined with the driver’s existing insurance policy on the vehicle.

If you have been injured in a rideshare accident, you may be wondering what to do next, and who is responsible for the medical and emotional costs of your injuries. The following is helpful information for riders who have been injured in rideshare car accidents in Michigan.

Report and seek medical attention

First, make sure to report the accident to the police. It’s important to have a police report of the incident on-hand for insurance claim inquiries. If you can’t report the accident to police on-scene, or if the driver refuses to call the police, file a report on your own within 24 hours of the accident. Most insurance companies require a police report to be filed within 24 hours in order to recognize an injury claim.

Report and seek medical attention

Even if you think you’re not injured, the first thing you should do after any car accident is to seek medical attention. Issues such as back and neck pain aren’t always immediately apparent in the aftermath of an accident but can show up hours or even days later. Back and neck injuries from auto accidents can result in lost wages and life-long complications. It’s important to document this step after an accident and keep any necessary x-ray or other test results for your auto accident attorney and insurance claim.

Photo evidence

If you are able, take photos or videos of the scene to help document the aftermath of events. Statements made in videos could become important in your case. Additionally, if you can document damage to the car, where the accident took place, and any injuries you’ve incurred, you’ll strengthen your claim.

Who is responsible?

Legislation passed in Michigan in 2016 and signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder have strengthened the protections and precautions for passengers, drivers, and victims of auto accidents involving drivers of rideshare companies. The legislation requires several things, including a $1 million liability insurance to cover passengers he or she is transporting at the time of the accident. That liability claim goes into effect only if the driver doesn’t have primary insurance on their vehicle, or if their coverage is not enough to take care of the personal injury protection (PIP) benefits.

If you are injured in a ridesharing accident in Michigan, you are entitled to no-fault claim benefits. Contact a car accident attorney to help you navigate the complicated insurance claims system and collect documentation for your case. If you have lost wages due to your accident, you can access no-fault injury protection benefits.

No-fault insurance claim benefits in Michigan include payment of medical bills, pain and suffering, short- and long-term disability benefits, and death benefits. Your necessary medical expenses are covered by your PIP benefits without a maximum limit.

If you or your spouse don’t carry your own policy with PIP benefits, then a claim will be filed against the driver. That claim, which can be handled by your car injury lawyer, is managed by the insurance provided by the driver’s primary insurance company. If their coverage is not enough, or if the driver does not carry insurance, the claim will go against the rideshare company’s liability coverage policy.

If you have been involved in a rideshare accident please contact Cochran, Kroll & Associates P.C. at 1-866-MICH-LAW for a free consultation. There is no obligation for a case evaluation and no fee is charged unless a recovery is made.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.

Ms. Barry is studying Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. She has won multiple awards both for her persuasive and creative writing and has written extensively on the topics of medical malpractice law, personal and birth injury law, product liability law. When she's not researching and writing about these topics, she edits a literary magazine and tutors students at Penn's writing center.

CALL TOLL-FREE | 24 HOURS

RESULTS-DRIVEN TRACK RECORD

Testimonial Image

FREE CONSULTATION NO FEES UNTIL WE WIN

There is no obligation for a case evaluation & no fee is charged unless a recovery is made.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Your privacy is important to us. Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. does not share, sell, rent, or trade personally identifiable or confidential information with third parties for any purpose.
Call Now Button