New York Uber / Lyft / Rideshare Accident Attorneys
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are rapidly becoming more prevalent on the streets of New York than even yellow taxis. Rideshare drivers are everywhere, and like anyone else, they make mistakes, and they cause accidents. If you are seriously injured by a rideshare driver, you have the right to recover just as if you were injured by any other driver. Depending on the circumstances of your crash, you may be able to obtain a substantial recovery from Uber or Lyft itself, escaping the often low policy limits of personal car insurance.
If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed by a rideshare driver, a dedicated and effective New York rideshare crash lawyer can help you and your family get the full compensation that you deserve. The New York Uber and Lyft accident attorneys at Dupée & Monroe, P.C. are ready to hold negligent drivers and complicit rideshare companies liable for the harm you have suffered.
Insurance Coverage for Uber & Lyft Accidents
Uber and Lyft classify drivers as independent contractors, which would typically limit their liability for the conduct of those workers. However, rideshare companies accept that drivers are providing a service in their name, and when they injure passengers and other drivers while performing that service, Uber and Lyft should step in to handle compensation. Whether they do so out of the goodness of their hearts or in order to avoid reputational and financial problems is irrelevant; for injured parties, what matters is that Uber and Lyft insure their drivers.
Uber and Lyft, in fact, offer generous insurance policies to cover parties injured while their drivers are operating. Whether those insurance policies kick in or not, however, depends on precisely when the accident occurred. Rideshare insurance coverage falls into three categories, depending on what the driver was doing at the time the crash occurred:
- The driver was off the clock and the app was off. If the Uber or Lyft app was off and the driver was not looking for a fare, then Uber and Lyft disclaim all liability. If you are hit by an Uber driver who was not logged in at the time of the accident, you will be forced to proceed as if the driver was not working for Uber at all. You will need to rely on their personal insurance coverage as well as your own.
- The driver was online but not yet on a trip. If the app was on but the driver was still searching for a fare, Uber and Lyft offer some protection. Uber covers New York drivers for $75,000 in personal injury per person and up to $150,000 per accident, as well as $25,000 for property damage per accident. For damages that exceed those limits, injured parties may be left pursuing drivers and their insurance individually, or seeking to hold Uber or Lyft responsible under certain theories of vicarious liability.
- The driver was en route to pick up a fare or in the middle of a drive. From the time a driver accepts a fare until the passenger is dropped off, the driver is fully on the clock for Uber or Lyft. Uber covers drivers for $1.25 million in bodily injury and personal property damage to passengers and other drivers.
Recovering damages from Uber or Lyft depends first on getting outside of New York’s no-fault insurance scheme. Make sure you have a seasoned car accident lawyer on your side to help you prove both that you suffered a serious injury in your accident and that the accident was caused by the rideshare driver. Do not let insurance providers or rideshare companies push you around and get you to accept a lowball settlement. A passionate car crash attorney at Dupée & Monroe is ready to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Trusted Advice and Representation from Seasoned and Experienced New York Car Accident Lawyers
If you have been seriously injured in an Uber or Lyft crash as a passenger, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or another driver, you might have a claim for negligence against the driver and the rideshare company. If you or someone you love has been injured in a rideshare accident in New York City, Goshen, Orange County, or anywhere in the Hudson Valley, contact Dupée & Monroe, P.C., to speak with experienced auto accident lawyers who can help you.
