New Jersey Rideshare Accident Lawyer
Uber and Lyft are extremely popular ways to get to work, the airport or out for an evening with friends. The ability to get exactly where you want to go when you want to be there without dealing with the hassle of parking or driving makes rideshares an incredibly appealing transportation option. Unfortunately, these rideshare companies are also an increasing contributor to major and minor car accidents throughout New Jersey. While there are multiple potential insurance policies available for a winning case, Uber and Lyft both aggressively fight car accident claims which is one of the many reasons that working with a New Jersey rideshare lawyer at Sarofiem & Antoun LLC can help ensure that you are presenting the strongest case possible following your accident. Get started with your free consultation today to learn more!
Common Rideshare Accident Scenarios
Below is a look at the two most common rideshare accident scenarios that occur in New Jersey:
- Passenger rideshare accidents: When you are a paying passenger in an Uber or Lyft car and the driver get into an accident while taking you to your desired location. Like any car accident, your injuries can range from mild whiplash to a life-changing disability.
- Driver rideshare accidents: When you are a driver on the road and get into an accident with a rideshare driver (whether on duty actively driving a passenger or en route to a pickup).
In both the above situations, we will usually be filing a lawsuit against the rideshare company itself after filing against the individual driver insurance—this multi-step process is required by the rideshare companies and when done quickly and properly should not overly delay your much-needed payout.
The only scenario in which a lawsuit would be filed against a rideshare driver exclusively is if the accident happened when the driver was completely off driving duty with no available connection to the rideshare company. Rideshare companies have insurance policies that are much higher than a typical individual policy which means that when you have a strong case showing injuries and responsibility on the part of the rideshare company, the payout of your case will often be much higher.
The causes of a rideshare accident are similar to regular New Jersey car accidents, including:
- Distracted driving
- Other drivers’ negligence
- Driving while intoxicated
- Unsafe turns
- Failure to yield
- Speeding
How Do Rideshare Car Accident Lawsuits Work?
Uber and Lyft have insurance coverage available depending on who the accident was with and if paying passengers were injured. Both Uber and Lyft require their drivers to carry their own personal car insurance coverage for accidents and that is usually the starting point for collecting. Here’s a look at the possible liability coverage scenarios depending on the status of a rideshare driver at the time of the crash:
- If a rideshare driver is not logged into their app then their personal insurance pays their role in causing property and personal injury damage to another. In this case, it is as if the driver has no connection to Uber or Lyft.
- When an Uber or Lyft driver is logged onto their app at the time of the accident then their insurance coverage can help provide additional compensation for the damages its driver caused in an accident. The amount of coverage is dependent upon the duties the driver is performing at the time the accident took place.
But just because the money is available does not mean that these riedeshare companies don’t fight aggressively to limit payouts. For this reason and many others, working with a rideshare lawyer helps to ensure that your interests in these suits are fully protected. Some of the areas of financial recovery include:
- Medical bills
- Future medical needs and surgeries
- Missed work
- Inability to work/disability
- Pain and suffering
- Other expenses stemming from the accident
New Jersey Rideshare Accident Lawyer
Rideshare accidents don’t have to be complicated when you hire Sarofiem & Antoun LLC to handle everything for you. Our talented team of personal injury lawyers are available 24/7 via phone or text to help you following your Uber or Lyft rideshare accident. We are ready to get started when you are—get in touch with us at (201) 792-3333 today. Don’t think you can afford us? Of course you can—we take all our cases on a contingency fee basis so you don’t pay a penny for legal representation until we get you paid.
