People take Ubers and Lyft everywhere. So, what do they do when involved in a car accident when riding in one?

Lyft and Uber rides are commonplace. So are accidents in them. Personal injury lawyers know this all too well. Personal injury lawyers know the following about Uber and Lyft (and other similar riding services). The drivers are independent contractors. This means that they are not directly employed by either Uber or Lyft. They are contacted by riders through smartphone apps. They arrange pickups and payments through these apps. Drivers use their own cars when working.

The question is whose insurance is responsible in the event of an accident is an issue that keeps personal injury lawyers in Madera & Porterville up at night. This is because the drivers use their own cars and are not direct employees. Uber and Lyft drivers are independent contractors.This means that you generally can’t sue the companies if you are ever involved in an accident. However, as your personal injury lawyerwill tell you, you can still force the companies to pay some money for your injuries.

The car insurance arrangement for these drivers

Lyft and Uber require their independent contractors to carry their own car insurance. However, these companies do supplement the drivers’ insurance. This is crucial because personal lines auto insurance carriers tend to deny claims stemming from ’drive for hire’ work.Note that your driver can lose his or her auto insurance coverage if you are injured in an accident while driving in his or her car. You’ll be compensated by Lyft or Uber’s insurance though.

Also note that Lyft and Uber require that all claims be directed to their drivers’ insurance policies first. Lyft and Uber will pay if these insurance companies deny the claim. This is almost always the case.

The different tiers of Rideshare insurance coverage

Rideshare companies carry insurance policies with four tiers of coverage. They are:
● Period 0: the driver either doesn’t have the app installed on his or her smartphone. The driver’s insurance will pay out claims for any accidents caused by him or her while driving
● Period 1: the driver has the app and has accepted an assignment. He or she is driving around looking for the client. If an accident occurs during this period, the claim would be routed to his or her insurance company before Uber or Lyft insurance policy would kick in. this would occur only if the driver’s insurance company rejected the claim.
● Period 2: the driver is picking the client up. The same rules apply during this period as did in period 1;
● Period 3: the driver has finished transporting the client and is dropping him or her off. If an accident occurs, the driver would have to route the claim to his or her carrier. Lyft or Uber would step in only in the incidence of a denial. Lyft or Uber will also apply the damage to the driver’s car.

You do indeed have legal recourse if you get into an accident while driving in a Lyft or Uber.

Your personal injury lawyer will tell you that you can indeed seek monetary compensation for bodily injury and property damages sustained while riding in an Uber or Lyft.