Due to the increase in popularity of ridesharing services, there have been more people utilizing apps like Uber for the ease of transportation. When we ride in an Uber, we expect a safe ride. However, we do understand that accidents happen whether it’s the Uber driver or another driver’s fault. So, what happens if you are in an Uber and an accident happens? If you have been involved in a rideshare accident, speak to our expert car accident lawyers at Anapol Weiss today.
Three Types of Insurance with Uber
There are three different time stamps that affect insurance coverage when using Uber that will dictate the level of coverage available to Uber drivers and their passengers.
- If your Uber driver is offline or not using their app and gets into an accident, their own personal auto insurance will be used for any injuries or damages involved.
- If the Uber driver is online and waiting for a ride when getting into an accident, you as the victim are covered for $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage by Uber.
- If you are a passenger and en route to your destination with an Uber driver when an accident occurs, you as the passenger are covered up to $1,000,000 for your injuries. In Pennsylvania the minimum coverage a driver is required to pay for is $15,000 per person in the event of an accident. Often times this minimum insurance will not cover the extent of a serious injury. That is why Uber has a $1,000,000 policy in place to ensure that passengers who suffer injuries will still be covered for their medical expenses even if they were in a collision with an uninsured and underinsured driver.
What Happens Next?
The first and most important thing to do immediately following an accident is to check and make sure you and everyone else in the vehicle is okay. It’s imperative to seek medical attention if necessary and keep all medical documents as evidence. Next, if the accident is serious, call the police and give your statement of what happened. Lastly, contact the Uber support team online to file a crash report of the incident. An Uber representative will most likely give you a call to discuss the accident in detail to ensure all of the facts are in the crash report.
If you need evidence to build a case against the at-fault driver or their insurance, you will want to reach out to Uber and request the preservation of evidence. This means that Uber will keep the documentation of your trip which includes the driver, the car driven and the route you took to arrive at your destination.
Can I Sue Uber?
In most cases, you can’t sue the Uber company directly because Uber drivers are independent contractors for the ridesharing company. This means that if you sustained serious injuries and are looking to recover compensation, you would sue the driver directly. It is assumed that Uber drivers won’t be able to personally pay for medical expenses following a serious accident. Uber put their accident coverage in place to ensure coverage for passengers in the event of an accident regardless of severity.
Get Help
If you’ve been injured in an Uber accident, it is recommended to speak with a car accident attorney to discuss the details surrounding your case. Uber does have accident insurance policies in place to protect their passengers, but it can be tricky to understand the insurance and claims process. In these complex processes, there are different criteria that must be met in each insurance tier Uber provides.