San Francisco is one of the most crowded cities in the United States.
Luckily, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft thrive in San Francisco, offering passengers a more cost-effective way to get around the city than traditional cab rides.
On an average weekday in San Francisco, more than 5,700 ride-hail vehicles hit the streets during the city’s busiest hours, collecting up to 170,000 pickups daily.
While rideshares are usually safe, both rideshare drivers and passengers sometimes end up in dangerous situations.
And negligent behavior resulting in rideshare injuries can forever alter the lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
If you were injured while you were an Uber or Lyft driver or passenger or were a pedestrian hit by an Uber or Lyft driver, the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart can help.
The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart can counsel you about how to proceed after a rideshare accident, explain all your available options, and assist you in seeking the financial compensation you need to pay your bills.
It’s your right to seek compensation under California law.
Let the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart fight for your rights and help put you on the road to recovery.
Rideshare drivers are part of a class of independent workers who choose when and where to work.
These workers are called gig workers.
While gig work affords people the freedom to work at will, it can also complicate the outcomes of unexpected events like accidents.
If you were a rideshare driver in a rideshare accident, you know how much an accident can uproot your life.
What you probably don’t know is whether Uber or Lyft will help pay for any of your damages.
The answer depends on whether you are at fault for the accident and whether it occurred during an active driving period.
At-Fault Driver Coverage
Uber won’t automatically cover anything beyond third-party liability if you are liable for an automobile accident during an active driving period.
Unfortunately, your own insurance company may also refuse to pay.
In California, rideshare companies require drivers to carry auto insurance, but coverage isn’t guaranteed.
It depends on your partner policy, whether it be a policy through Allstate, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, or another company.
While Uber does not offer first-party protection for drivers when a driver causes an accident, Uber does provide optional injury protection that costs $0.024 per mile while on a covered trip.
The coverage also extends to online-but-waiting periods.
Uber’s optional injury protection includes:
- Accident medical expenses up to a maximum of $1,000,000 with no deductible or copay;
- Temporary total disability up to a maximum of $500 per week;
- Continuous total disability up to a maximum of $500 per week;
- Accidental death up to a maximum of $50,000;
- Survivor benefits up to a maximum of $150,000; and
- Accidental dismemberment up to a maximum of $200,000.
As an at-fault driver, you may also wonder whether Uber will penalize you, whether the accident will impact your driver ratings, and whether another injured party can sue you.
Since every case is unique, it’s best to consult with an experienced rideshare accident lawyer who can review the specific case facts of your case.
You may also have questions about whether you’re really at fault for your accident or whether another party is to blame.
It’s often difficult to determine liability, but skilled Uber and Lyft accident lawyers will be able to investigate the accident, establish liability, and help you move forward with a claim.
When a rideshare driver causes an auto accident, one of three different policies may cover your damages:
- The driver’s personal auto liability insurance,
- The rideshare company’s contingent coverage, or
- The rideshare’s primary liability policy.
California Vehicle Code 5430 requires rideshare companies to carry $1 million in insurance for death, personal injury, and property damage.
The $1 million in insurance covers claims resulting from the Uber or Lyft driver’s vehicle use from the moment the driver accepts a ride request on the Uber or Lyft app until the driver completes the transaction on the app or until the ride is complete.
If the driver was logged on to the Lyft app and looking to match with a rider when the accident occurred, Lyft insurance coverage contains a contingency policy that includes $50,000 for bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident as a backup to the driver’s personal insurance.
Uber offers the same coverage amounts when a driver is logged on to the app and waiting for a ride request.
If the driver had a rider in the vehicle during the accident, Lyft and Uber coverage includes $1 million in third-party liability policy for accidents.
If there are no riders in the Uber or Lyft vehicle, and the driver is not on the way to pick up a passenger, the only insurance coverage on the car is the driver’s auto insurance policy.
If you were a passenger in a rideshare accident and were injured, you are entitled to seek compensation.
In California, Uber and Lyft provide $1 million in car accident insurance coverage for all customers using their apps.
This is on top of any personal auto insurance coverage or any additional car accident insurance coverage that your Uber driver or Lyft driver carries.
So if your Uber driver or Lyft driver was in a car accident, and the vehicle was in service when the accident occurred, you are covered by the rideshare company’s policy.
If it was not in service when the accident occurred, the driver’s own personal auto insurance policy might cover your damages.
California law requires rideshare companies and drivers to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UIM).
This policy covers an accident when a driver is underinsured or lacks liability insurance.
In California, an insurance company must offer all drivers UIM coverage, although a driver may also sign a waiver to opt-out.
Whether UIM bodily injury coverage applies during an accident depends on the status of the driver when the accident occurred.
Both Uber and Lyft provide UIM coverage when an accident occurs while a driver is en route to pick up a passenger or during a ride.
But if the driver is driving around waiting for a request to drive someone, UIM coverage would not apply.
If you’re an Uber or Lyft driver and carry personal UIM coverage on your auto policy, it’s unlikely your coverage would take care of any accident damages as a secondary UIM.
Unfortunately, most personal auto insurance policies deny rideshare drivers auto coverage while using the rideshare app unless the driver has a rideshare policy or endorsement.
How Can a San Francisco Uber and Lyft Accident Attorney Help Me?
The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart handles all types of rideshare accidents, including:
- Accidents where you were an Uber or Lyft passenger;
- Accidents where an Uber or Lyft hit your vehicle while you’re parked or driving;
- Accidents where an Uber or Lyft hit you when you were a pedestrian, cyclist, or not a rider in the rideshare vehicle; and
- Rideshare accidents resulting in severe injuries and death.
Whether you are a rideshare driver, passenger, or another driver or pedestrian injured in a rideshare accident, insurance companies may try to deny your rideshare accident claim.
Insurance companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying settlements.
An experienced San Francisco Uber accident lawyer knows how to negotiate with insurance companies to increase your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve.
Proceeding without a lawyer may also jeopardize your rights as an accident victim.
For example, did you know that if you flagged down an Uber or Lyft driver before your accident, you might not be owed the same financial compensation as someone using the app because you failed to follow proper rideshare policies?
Working with San Francisco Uber and Lyft accident attorneys who know the ins and outs of rideshare law will help you build the strongest possible claim.
The experienced team at the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart can provide you with the support and guidance you need at every step of your case.
Attorney Chuck Geerhart can:
- Meet with you and review your accident and claim;
- Answer your legal questions and concerns;
- Visit the accident site as soon after your rideshare accident as possible to collect evidence, including photographs and witness names if applicable, for later interviews or depositions;
- Determine who the at-fault parties are;
- Help determine the rideshare driver’s app status at the time of your accident;
- Preserve evidence that will advance your claim;
- Create a solid case to better help you achieve maximum compensation;
- Create a demand letter to send to the at-fault party detailing your demands and why you should receive them;
- Negotiate with insurance companies and adjusters; and
- Make sure you understand everything that will happen over the weeks or months it takes to resolve your case.
The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart will champion your rights if you’ve been injured in a rideshare accident.
Attorney Chuck Geerhart fully understands the laws and regulations governing rideshare accidents and will help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Recent Case Settlement
$1.4 Million Rideshare Accident Settlement My client, a 49 year-old man, was walking to his job at SF General Hospital when he was run over by a rideshare vehicle. He suffered a left tibial fracture, left ankle fracture, and a lateral fibula avulsion fracture. He underwent several surgeries and doctors said he needed future surgery. He lost income from his two jobs. He made a decent recovery from his injuries, but still had significant residual limitations in walking. The case settled for $1.4 million.Contact The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart To Discuss Your Case
With decades of experience as a San Francisco injury lawyer representing clients in all types of personal injury cases, the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart works tirelessly to achieve positive outcomes for our clients.
If you suffered an injury in an accident caused by a Lyft or Uber driver, the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart has the background and experience you can trust to advance your claim.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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