Taking an Uber or Lyft on game day can solve two obvious problems: parking and getting home safely after the event. However, when your rideshare driver gets into a crash, you will quickly find yourself dealing with medical care, missed work, and insurance companies that each have their own explanation of who should pay.
If you suffer injuries as a passenger in a rideshare accident in Georgia, you may have a claim involving your Uber or Lyft driver, another motorist, or both. Council & Associates is here to help you decide your next steps.
Who is Responsible for an Uber or Lyft Crash?
It is uncommon for the Uber or Lyft passenger to be at fault in an accident, but the real argument between insurance companies centers on which driver caused it. Your rideshare driver may have been speeding, looking at a phone, following too closely, or making an unsafe turn. Or perhaps another motorist may have run a red light, failed to yield, or struck the rideshare vehicle from behind.
Some collisions involve mistakes by both drivers. Determining how the crash happened helps identify the people and insurance policies that may be involved in an Uber or Lyft accident claim.
What Insurance Covers an Uber or Lyft Passenger in Georgia?
Georgia law requires rideshare companies and drivers to carry specific insurance while they provide transportation services. Once a driver accepts a ride request and continues through the end of the trip, Georgia requires at least $1 million in liability coverage per occurrence, along with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that meets state requirements.
Those coverage limits do not guarantee an easy claim. An insurer can still dispute who caused the crash, whether the collision caused a particular injury, or how much the passenger’s losses are worth.
A passenger should identify every potentially available policy before agreeing to a settlement, especially after a serious rideshare passenger injury.
What if Another Driver Hit Your Uber or Lyft?
When another motorist causes the crash, that driver’s liability insurance may provide the first source of compensation. The rideshare policy may also matter if the at-fault driver has no insurance or carries too little coverage to address the passenger’s injuries.
Medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and other losses can quickly exceed a driver’s basic insurance limits after a serious collision. Our Council & Associates attorneys Lashonda Council Rogers and Wayne Washington can help you review your Uber accident in Georgia or a Lyft crash to examine the available policies and determine which sources of coverage may apply.
What if Both Drivers Blame Each Other?
Game-day traffic is a hot bed of confusion and a stressful environment that can easily lead to an automobile or pedestrian crash. Drivers arriving to the event regularly change lanes to avoid road blocks, stop unexpectedly, and follow confusing GPS directions through unfamiliar streets, all while navigating heavy pedestrian traffic at the same time.
If you or someone you know becomes involved in a rideshare accident, remember that evidence is key to help resolve the dispute between all parties. Photos, witness statements, vehicle damage, dashcam footage, surveillance video, traffic signals, and roadway markings may show which driver’s actions contributed to the collision.
As a passenger, you do not need to decide which driver tells the more convincing story. The evidence should answer that question.
Save Your Uber or Lyft Trip Information
Your phone may hold some of the most useful evidence from the crash. The rideshare app can show:
- Who drove you,
- Which vehicle picked you up,
- When the trip began,
- Where the driver picked you up,
- And where you planned to go.
Take screenshots of the driver’s name, vehicle information, route, pickup location, destination, trip time, and receipt. Save messages with the driver or rideshare company as well. These records can help confirm that you were an active passenger and help determine which rideshare accident insurance coverage applied at the time.
What Should You Do After a Rideshare Crash?
A crash near a Georgia stadium, arena, or concert venue can leave you standing in heavy traffic while everyone around you tries to leave the area. If your injuries allow it, document what you can before the scene changes.
Photograph the vehicles, license plates, roadway, intersection, and visible injuries. Get contact information from witnesses, call law enforcement, and report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app. Seek medical attention if you experience pain, headaches, dizziness, stiffness, or other symptoms after the collision. Remember that it can take a few days to develop symptoms, so pay attention to any warning signs.
Keep your medical records, bills, insurance communications, and documentation of any work you miss. Those records can help connect your injuries and financial losses to the crash.
Should You Accept an Early Insurance Settlement?
An insurance adjuster may contact you soon after a Lyft accident in Georgia or Uber crash. The adjuster may ask for a statement, request medical information, or offer money before you know how long your recovery will take.
Before you accept an offer, understand your injuries, expected treatment, lost income, and the insurance policies available to you. A quick settlement may not account for additional appointments, physical therapy, missed work, or symptoms that continue beyond the first several days.
You also do not have to rely on one insurer’s explanation of which policy covers the crash. Multiple policies may come into play when another driver, an uninsured motorist, or more than one responsible driver contributed to the collision.
Get Help After a Rideshare Accident in Georgia
An Uber or Lyft crash can leave you stuck in the middle of an argument between drivers and insurance companies even though you did nothing to cause the collision. Sorting out fault and coverage becomes especially important when injuries require ongoing care or keep you away from work.
Council & Associates helps injured rideshare passengers make sense of what happens after a crash, from identifying the responsible driver to understanding which insurance coverage may apply.
If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in Georgia, do not accept a settlement before you understand the full value of your claim and every potential source of coverage.
Schedule a consultation with Council & Associates to review what happened, understand your options, and protect your claim before making a decision that could affect your recovery.