Auto Insurance – Who Pays for Uber or Lyft Accidents?
When driving for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, drivers are required to carry two types of insurance: their own personal insurance for off-duty use AND additional liability coverage from the company that activates whenever the app is turned on. Unfortunately, because Uber does not consider its drivers to be employees, but rather independent contractors, they may be quicker to deny injury claims. Liability becomes even more difficult to determine when a driver is in between trips or is “off the clock” after a full day of driving. In order to protect your claim and potentially maximize its value, you should consider retaining an Orlando rideshare accident lawyer who can fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
What are the Common Causes of Uber Accidents?
- Uber accidents come with built-in distractions. One of the most dangerous elements of rideshare services is their reliance on a mobile app to guide them to their customers and navigate them through their routes. This is a built-in source of distraction that takes focus away from the road, significantly increasing the driver’s risk of getting into an accident.
- Inexperienced drivers. Although rideshare services claim to have a highly selective process for choosing drivers, the truth is that just about anybody with a driver’s license, their own car, and auto insurance can drive for Uber or Lyft. What this means is that you may be accepting a ride from someone who doesn’t have experience driving passengers around for hours at a time. Your driver could be anybody!
- Reckless driving. Drivers who speed, ignore posted signs and signals, and who generally fail to drive in a safe and conscientious manner are likely to cause an accident. This risk is further heightened by the fact that drivers must rely on GPS to guide them to unfamiliar areas. At night, this is even more dangerous.