As of 2019, 36% of American adults claim to have used a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft. While passengers are usually safe when riding, there are times when accidents occur.
If you’ve been in a car accident that involved a ridesharing vehicle, filing an accident claim can be tricky. Ridesharing accidents are different from other types of car accidents, and many people make mistakes with the claim filing process.
In this guide, we’ll look at 7 common errors in rideshare accident claims and will tell you how to avoid them.
1. Admitting Your Fault
If you believe that you were at fault at all for a rideshare accident, you should be careful about admitting it. Taking responsibility for an accident can get you into a tricky position and could make it much harder to file a claim or make a case later on.
It’s best to remain quiet after the accident. Don’t talk about the fault of the accident with any drivers who were involved, friends and family, or insurance company representatives.
Instead, make sure to hire a qualified attorney to handle communication on your behalf and avoid saying anything that you’ll regret later on.
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2. Not Collecting Evidence on the Accident
After an accident, you should collect all of the information that you can about what happened. You should aim to get witness contact information and take photos of the accident so that you will have it documented well.
Getting evidence regarding the accident can help later on when it comes time to make a rideshare accident case and can allow you to have a stronger standing overall. While police officers will be able to handle some of the documentation regarding an accident, you should do as much as you can yourself.
In addition to this, it’s a good idea to call a lawyer quickly since they may be able to help collect evidence for you as well.
3. Failing to Call the Police
After an accident occurs, you should be sure to call the police. It’s critical that the police come to the scene of the accident and make a full report regarding what happened. This will help when it comes time to file an insurance claim or to make any kind of lawsuit based on the accident.
A police officer will be able to get the full details about what happened during the event. This will help ensure that everyone’s rights are protected and that the true fault of the accident is determined.
4. Not Prioritizing Your Health
Failing to seek medical treatment is also a mistake many people make after experiencing an Uber or Lyft accident.
Safety should always be a priority, so make sure that you seek medical attention if you experience any pain or discomfort after an accident. If you fail to seek medical help after an accident and you pursue a rideshare accident injury claim later, it won’t look good if you didn’t seek medical treatment.
After seeing a doctor, make sure that you follow their orders. Otherwise, the defense may argue that your injuries after an accident were worse because you didn’t do as the doctors told you to.
5. Failing to Get Rideshare Driver Information
If you’re involved in an accident with a rideshare driver, you need to be sure to get all of their details. Make sure that you get all of the critical information about a rideshare driver including their name, phone number, insurance company, policy numbers, license plate number, car make and model, and car registration number.
Having all of this information on hand will help you make a claim with an insurance company if you need to. It can make everything that happens after the accident easier to handle.
6. Failing to Report the Accident to Uber or Lyft
If you’ve been involved in an accident with someone who drives for Uber or Lyft, you’ll want to get in touch with the companies themselves as well.
Because these rideshare companies will have liability insurance that covers driver accidents, they may be used to pay claims in certain situations. If the driver’s regular car insurance doesn’t handle the claim then Uber or Lyft may end up paying for it instead.
Be sure to report the accident and cover all of your bases to ensure that you’ll be able to get the compensation you need.
7. Not Hiring a Great Attorney
In addition to filing a car insurance claim, in some cases, it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit as well.
If you’ve been seriously injured, a lawsuit can help ensure that you get the coverage you need for your damages. You’ll be able to pay all medical bills and deal with any other losses that occurred due to the accident.
You’ll need to have a great rideshare accident attorney on your side to help you make your case and ensure that you’ll have the best chance of getting compensated adequately. A reliable lawyer can make the process much easier and can give you the best chance of success when going head-to-head with a rideshare driver.
Avoiding These Errors in Rideshare Accident Claims
If you want to have the best experience after a car accident involving a ridesharing service, you’ll want to avoid these common errors in rideshare accident claims. Avoid admitting fault, seek medical attention, collect evidence, and hire a great lawyer if you want to handle your claim as smoothly as possible.
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