Atlanta Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers

Uber & Lyft Wreck Injury Lawyers

Atlanta Uber and Lyft Safety

Uber and Lyft are the main app-based rideshare companies operating in Georgia. When these companies gained widespread adoption in the mid-2010s, there weren’t many laws in place to keep drivers, riders, and pedestrians safe. Since then, state and local governments across the country passed legislation to reign in the apps and create a safer environment for everyone involved. However, some persistent issues affect rideshare passengers, drivers, and pedestrians.

When they first entered the mainstream, people believed rideshare apps could reduce the number of cars on the road at any given time. Rather than one driver taking one car to work, a driver and passenger heading in the same direction could ride together. With fewer road drivers, experts expected fewer accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

However, research now indicates that Uber and Lyft may have the opposite effect. One study demonstrated an annual 3% rise in auto deaths nationwide since the introduction of rideshare apps. More people are using the apps, creating a greater demand for cars on the road than there otherwise would be.

With more cars on the road, more drivers are injuring pedestrians. Numerous studies indicate that Uber and Lyft present great risks to pedestrians. One study showed that traffic fatalities increased due to Uber and Lyft in high-population counties like the Atlanta metro counties. Dense cities like Atlanta are areas where cars, cyclists, and pedestrians intersect and collide frequently. Another study made the point even more apparent, finding that pedestrians are most at risk when Uber and Lyft are making pickups and drop-offs.

Common Uber and Lyft Passenger Accident Injuries

In an Uber or Lyft accident, passengers typically sit in the vehicle’s rear seats, where specific injuries are more common than those impacting drivers. Their location within the car, the source of the crash, the age of the passenger, and the speed of the vehicle all impact the injuries doctors expect to see.
There are some general trends, however. Rear passengers tend to see higher rates of concussions than drivers and front-seat passengers when they’re involved in accidents. Knowing common injuries in the context of an Uber or Lyft accident matters because you may walk away from the accident without realizing it’s left you injured.

Seat-Belt Syndrome

Rear passengers are also more at risk for a phenomenon researchers call “seat-belt syndrome.” While seatbelts are an essential safety measure in vehicles, they can also cause injuries. In the event of a crash, the impact may jolt a rear passenger forward. When their forward momentum meets the restraint of the seatbelt, it creates an enormous amount of force which can lead to chest and abdominal injuries. These can be lung contusions, rib fractures, and heart injuries. Getting treatment in the event of an Uber or Lyft accident is one of the best measures to identify these injuries straight away, so they don’t worsen.

What To Do Following an Uber or Lyft Accident

Seek and receive medical treatment right away. If no one else has called 911, do so. Getting medical professionals on the scene to examine you and document any injuries can help you avoid developing further complications in the days ahead. They can identify any potential injuries and get you the treatment you need right away.

Contact Emergency Services

In addition to ensuring paramedics are at the scene, you also want to make sure police arrive. Provide your name and necessary information to the responding officer to have your name recorded on the accident report. Insurance companies will use this documentation to verify you were present at the accident as a passenger or pedestrian. Without this documentation, substantiating your claim becomes more challenging.

Gathering Contact Information

Like any other car accident, you want to leave the accident with everyone else’s contact and insurance information. This includes the name, number, and email of all parties to the accident. Your driver’s insurance information as well as any Uber or Lyft documentation should also be collected. Leaving the accident with this information in hand can make filing a claim with the appropriate insurance easier once you reach that step.

Additional Documentation

There’s other important information to collect besides the officer’s report of the accident and documentation from the paramedics. That information will show that you were at the accident and sustained injuries as a result. Taking photographs and recording videos of the scene can show why the accident occurred in the first place. Street lights and signs are particularly relevant, as are intersections, street names, and any skid marks or damage to the roads. Having this information can provide vital evidence that your story occurs how you say it did, which can help to get just compensation.

Speak to Eyewitnesses

It’s possible that there were bystanders who saw the accident occur. Unfortunately, their memory of the accident fades quickly. Typically, eyewitnesses have the best recall of events within 24 hours of seeing the event unfold. If you are physically able, it’s wise to record what they saw happen using your phone or another device. Make sure you have their contact information should their eyewitness statement become necessary in the near future.

Keep Conversations to a Minimum

As either a pedestrian or passenger in a Lyft or Uber accident, it’s unlikely that you played a role in the accident occurring. However, you want to avoid making any statements that unscrupulous insurance companies could use against you in the event of a claim. Avoiding confrontation and in-depth conversation with your driver and any other parties in the accidents is the best way to prevent these statements from happening in the first place.

Contact an Atlanta Lyft and Uber Accident Lawyer

If you happen to have the contact information of a trusted attorney on hand at the scene of the accident, it’s never a bad idea to call them right then and there. If that isn’t the case for you, start thinking about contacting a Lyft accident attorney in Atlanta. Be weary of recommendations that paramedics or police provide, these tend to be what are known as case runners. Look instead for well-resourced firms that offer free consultations, provide direct communication with your attorney, and are upfront about potential costs.

Call Your Auto Insurance Company

While many people believe they should call the relevant insurance companies as soon as possible to get the claim started, that’s only partially true. You do want to contact them right after you speak with an attorney. Reaching out to insurance companies unrepresented can open the door to complications with your claim. The insurance company will record the conversations you have and will try to use any information you provide to minimize your pain and your compensation. Having Atlanta Uber & Lyft accident attorneys in your corner can help put a stop to insurance company meddling.

Can Injured Rideshare Passengers and Pedestrians Be Compensated?

If you’ve been injured either as a result of riding in an Uber or Lyft or as a pedestrian hit by one, you can file a claim to receive compensation. Generally, a claim will include the compensation necessary to make an innocent victim monetarily whole. The claim and courts can’t undo the harm, but they can provide compensation for costs associated with healing. Compensation can include:

Compensation for Medical Treatment

Often, medical compensation is what comes to mind when people think of a claim following an accident. It’s understandable considering this is typically one of the larger sources of compensation in an injury claim. There is no single or average cost for treatment following an Uber or Lyft accident. The specifics of your situation determine what treatment is needed and at what costs.

Recall that a common injury for backseat passengers is a concussion. For severe traumatic brain injuries, treatment can last a lifetime at costs ranging from $85,000 to $3 million. Working with an Atlanta Lyft accident attorney can help you secure the compensation you need to recover on schedule. You shouldn’t have to delay or defer treatment.

Understanding that, seek and receive medical care as soon as possible after an accident. Insurance companies may try to use a delay in treatment to assert that your injuries were not caused by the accident or that the extent of your injuries is being exaggerated.

Wage Replacement

Dealing with any injury is never easy. Beyond the costs for treatment is the cost of the injury’s impact in your life. One major disruption Uber and Lyft accidents cause passengers and pedestrians is to their work. Missing days at work to recover from an injury or not being able to work at the same level as before puts a household under enormous pressure.

Putting Atlanta Lyft accident attorneys in your corner is a crucial first step to getting the compensation you need to overcome the frustration that missing income brings. They won’t let insurance companies question your injuries or your ability to earn. They can help you calculate what the difference between your current and pre-injury wages and fight aggressively to put every dollar back in your pocket, where it belongs.

Accidental Death Compensation

Uber and Lyft accidents can have substantial consequences for passengers and pedestrians alike. For pedestrians there are no safety features protecting them from the impact of a vehicle. Even for passengers there’s an increased risk of fatal injury that comes with sitting in the backseat. If your loved one passed in an Uber or Lyft accident, please accept our heartfelt condolences. Having a trusted ally fighting for your loved one’s justice gives you the space and time you need to grieve and heal.

What Complicates Uber and Lyft Accidents?

One factor that sets Uber and Lyft accidents apart from other car accidents is that there are potentially multiple parties in Uber and Lyft accidents. Even when the accident only involves one car and one driver, there are still multiple parties involved. Add in another car and you have multiple potentially liable drivers and rideshare companies. The confusion can devolve into paralysis, as injured victims feel that pursuing justice is too much of a headache. That is why it is important to speak with an experienced auto accident attorney to understand the steps to take to maximize your financial recovery. Montlick’s team of Atlanta Uber & Lyft accident attorneys are here to help. They can evaluate the specific facts, assess who may be responsible, and pursue justice for their clients.

Pedestrian Struck By Uber Driver Cases in Atlanta

Claims against rideshare drivers and companies aren’t limited to their customers. When Uber and Lyft drivers injure pedestrians and cyclists, they can also file claims to be receive compensation for their injuries. If you or a family member have been injured or if you tragically lost a loved one in a pedestrian traffic accident caused by a negligent rideshare driver, you may be able to recover substantial economic compensation. Our Atlanta Lyft accident attorneys represent injured victims and families who lost loved ones in the following circumstances:

• Bicycle/Cycling Accidents Caused by Rideshare Drivers
• Hit By an Uber Driver While Walking or Running
• Wrongful Death

The Legal Issues Surrounding Uber, Lyft, and Other Ridesharing Services

In one reported wrongful death case, an Uber driver struck several pedestrians, tragically killing a child. Ultimately, Uber refused to accept responsibility and compensate the victim’s family. Uber refused to pay the claim because they said they were not responsible for the fatal accident. Uber claimed the driver was not actively transporting a passenger when the crash occurred. However, the Uber driver was using the Uber app and waiting to be called out to a new customer. The victim’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Uber after finding out that Uber acted negligently by ignoring the driver’s prior reckless driving conviction.

In another case, an accident victim was in current litigation against a rideshare company when the rideshare changed its app’s terms of service during the trial. The plaintiff accepted the terms, as other users did the same. However, the new terms of use agreement forced the passengers to unknowingly agree to give up their rights to file accident lawsuits against that rideshare company. That rideshare company then tried to dismiss the plaintiff’s case to avoid paying out compensation.

Competing insurers can also complicate matters for injured victims. Note that these insurers are competing to not pay your claim. When it comes to Uber or Lyft passenger accidents, O.C.G.A § 40-5-39 requires that rideshare drivers provide proof of minimum insurance coverage before they can begin driving for these companies.

However, most auto insurance policies only cover injuries and accidents that occur when the policyholder is driving the car for personal reasons. Transporting passengers for pay as an Uber or Lyft driver would negate most auto insurance policies, unless the driver pays for that specific coverage.

In those instances, Uber and Lyft should provide their drivers with the appropriate insurance coverage. They are not required to do so by law, however.

The law mandating insurance coverage minimums for rideshare drivers, O.C.G.A § 33-1-24, only requires that the driver has a policy that provides $1 million for death, personal injury, and property damage per occurrence. Their policy must also provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage with minimum limits of $300,000.00 for bodily injuries or death per accident, with a maximum of $100,000.00 for bodily injuries or death per person and $25,000.00 for loss of or damage to property of others per accident.

Determining whose policy applies and when it should be handled by experienced Atlanta Uber & Lyft accident lawyers. They understand the relevant laws, the tactics the insurance companies use, and the compensation available.

Montlick. Often Imitated, Never Equaled^®

Using apps like Uber and Lyft to get around Atlanta is part of everyday life. Finding yourself in the backseat of an Uber during an accident isn’t. As simple as these apps make it to navigate around town, they can complicate your road to recovery. You can quickly find yourself lost in paperwork and denied claims.

When the hope of recovery seems out of reach, Montlick is there. Our experienced team of Atlanta Uber and Lyft accident attorneys advocate for our clients so they can concentrate on healing. While they recover, we pursue maximum compensation from negligent parties. We believe injured victims should have everything they need to move on from the accident. That’s why we’ll take on any insurance company that seeks to minimize or deny our client’s pain. Whether it’s the rideshare company or the driver’s insurance, we stand up to them, ensuring our clients get every dollar they deserve.

Contact us today to see how Montlick can make a difference. Your initial consultation is free.