What You Need to Know If You Are Involved In a Lyft/Uber Accident

Ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber have become popular over the past few years. But as these companies continue to grow, so, too, do the chances of getting involved in a wreck with one of their drivers.

These types of accidents can be very complex as multiple parties are involved. Trust that the experienced Houston car accident attorneys at Lapeze & Johns have the legal know-how necessary to sift through all of the confusion in order to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Here’s what you need to know should you fall victim to such an accident.

These ever-popular methods of transportation are growing fast in the state of Texas, and, unfortunately, the law is struggling to catch up.

Take, for instance, Uber. As Uber became a go-to for local transportation, more drivers were hired to accommodate client needs. These drivers are technically considered independent contractors instead of employees. This is a legal distinction that, in a sense, protects the ride-sharing company from car accidents, giving them the ability to deny a claim.

How? In short, companies like Uber and Lyft require their drivers to have their own car insurance. Since these drivers are independent contractors, their car insurance company can then deny the claim by stating that the driver is using a personal vehicle for business purposes.

While this may seem like doom and gloom if you are involved in an accident with a Lyft/Uber driver, that isn’t necessarily the case. The truth of the matter is that both Uber and Lyft carry liability coverage for car accidents, but it all depends on the specific circumstances of your crash.

The knowledgeable car accident attorneys at Lapeze & Johns can help you to uncover who is liable for your accident.

There are a few things that a car accident attorney must discern when determining who is liable for a car accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver:

The Texas Insurance Code Sec. 1954.052 requires that ride-share drivers are covered with a 50/100/25 policy. Uber, for example, covers drivers up to $50,000 for bodily injury or death of each person in a car accident, $100,000 for bodily harm or death of a person per car accident, or $25,000 for the damage and/or destruction of property of others. The policy can be used to supplement a personal policy.

Lyft has the same kind of policy. However, with Lyft, the policy only activates in the event a driver’s personal insurance policy does not cover that much. Also, the state of Texas has a fail-safe in Texas Insurance Code Sec. 1954.054 that requires that ride-sharing companies cover claims if the driver’s policy has lapsed or isn’t covered.

To clarify, Uber offers:

Lyft offers:

Whenever any kind of accident occurs, the first thing that anyone should do is to seek out medical treatment as soon as possible. Your health is paramount and any medical documentation provided to you can help should you decide to seek compensation.

Next, you should contact the police so that they can investigate the accident. You should also follow up later on with the police department responsible for the investigation to ensure that all information on the police report is accurate.

Then, seek out the strong representation that only Lapeze & Johns can deliver. You can do so by contacting us at (713) 766-4855 to schedule a free legal consultation.

It is clear that ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber won’t disappear any time soon, but we all must take caution. If you are involved in an accident with a Lyft or Uber driver, trust that your Houston car accident attorneys at Lapeze & Johns will sort everything out for you so that you can concentrate on healing.

What You Need to Know If You Are Involved In a Lyft/Uber Accident

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