Uber is a ride-sharing company that facilitates travel with qualified, sane drivers, and helps people get from where they are to where they want to go. Despite these drivers being qualified, it is impossible to remove human error from humans and so car accidents are inevitable.
Normally, when you get into an accident your car insurance covers your medical and property damage costs. But in this case, you were not behind the wheel and so it falls to Uber to cover your costs.
If you are riding in an Uber and your driver suddenly stops, and you get injured, you have access to Uber’s insurance policy which can help you pay for the treatment you receive following your injury.
Our law firm is here to ensure that people get the proper care for the injuries they received after an accident while they were in the protective care of an Uber car ride. Our clients, many of whom were in a ride-sharing car ride accident, often ask us questions regarding their case. Because of our zero-fee guarantee, we are happy to answer all of them and offer our free legal advice. Our attorneys are ready to help you file a lawsuit against Uber when you got injured due to a sudden stop. Just because there is no wreckage or no physical car accident, does not mean Uber is not responsible for your injuries. Their drivers must ensure their cargo, you and other passengers, stay safe throughout the entire ride.
We get questions like the ones listed below:
- Can I sue Uber if I was injured from a sudden stop?
- Can I sue Uber as a passenger if I was injured when the Uber driver suddenly stopped?
- Can I sue a Lyft driver if I got injured due to a sudden stop?
- Can you sue Uber or Lyft if you were injured due to a hard brake?
We can help file an injury claim against Uber so that you receive compensation for your injuries for a hard stop, lost wages, and more.
Why You Have a Case
If you were injured when your Uber came to a sudden full stop, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. The reason being that liability falls on Uber and you are covered under the insurance policy that covers the ride-sharing business.
Further Information
Uber Accidents
Insurance Coverage
The Uber driver must carry auto insurance, but the driver’s personal policy will likely have a “business exempt” clause that will not make them eligible to pay for your medical bills. Uber drivers must also carry commercial insurance, which offers protection to the Uber drivers when they are on-the-job and get involved in a car accident. Depending on the ferocity of the accident, the insurance policy may or may not be enough to cover all of your medical bills and the other damages. However, head, neck, and back injuries are very delicate and require the utmost care to increase the best chances of full recovery. This means that the medical treatment might exceed the commercial insurance policy. When this is exhausted, to where do you turn?
Fortunately, it will be the company itself that has third party liability insurance coverage that has up to $1 million to pay for personal injuries and property damage. Uber’s third-party car insurance will apply to the injuries you sustained in the vehicle.
There is one complication that arises from all of this. When do you get access to the $1 million Uber policy? In order to get access to the $1 million policy, you have to have a qualified lawyer with years of experience with Uber cases and the second is that the commercial insurance of the driver must reach its limit. Once the policy limit of the driver is met, Uber’s insurance policy kicks in and can cover the remaining balance.
How to File a Lawsuit Against Uber
Uber maintains that its drivers are not employees, instead they classify their drivers as independent contractors. There is a big difference between the two when it comes to liability and compensation.
Typically, companies are responsible for the actions of their employees and are liable for any injuries that result from their actions. For example, if a grocery store employee does not put a wet floor sign after a spill and a customer slips and get injured, it is the grocery store that will be found liable. This does not generally apply to independent contractors wherein companies do not claim liability.
Following an accident, Uber will attempt to waive any liability and blame their driver for the accident that led to your injury. Injuries involving a hard stop are unorthodox for insurance companies and that is why you need a qualified lawyer to help represent you and get you the maximum amount of compensation you need for your damages.
The reason that sudden stop car accident injuries are so unorthodox is because there is no car accident. A car accident normally has a perpetrator who is at fault. One person crashed into someone else, and it is the perpetrator’s insurance company that will pay for the damages — hospital bills, lost wages, emotional distress, and further pain and suffering.
In a sudden stop accident, there is no car crash. Uber will attempt to weasel their way out of liability due to the crash-less claim, but just because there was no accident does not clear Uber of responsibility. It is Uber’s responsibility to make sure that you are kept safe from the time you get in the door until the time you exit the vehicle.
If you do not have a qualified attorney on your side, Uber will escape liability and you will not have access to their insurance policy to pay for the injuries you sustained after the sudden stop.
Possible Damages
A sudden stop normally results in a slight and incredibly temporary discomfort; injuries are not common. But there are moments in which a sudden stop can lead to severe injury. An object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. That’s Newton’s First Law of motion and it, along with the other two Laws, applies to all car crashes.
When your car travels 45 miles per hour, your body also travels at 45 miles per hour independently of the car. In other words, once your body accelerates to your car’s speed it will remain at that speed, regardless of what happens to the car, until an unbalanced force acts on your body.
During a controlled, slow stop, our bodies gently press against the seatbelt which brings us to a safe deceleration. During a sudden stop, when the car comes to complete stop, our bodies do not have enough time to decelerate safely and are violently held back by the seat belt. This is where injury occurs. Travelling 35 miles per hour, the car comes to a complete stop, but our bodies wildly push against the seatbelt, breaking the clavicle; our body comes to a full stop but our head and neck whiplash wildly, straining nerves and vertebrae; our head comes to a full stop but our brain smashes against the interior of our cranium. It’s not the stop itself that is damaging, but the speed at which we decelerate. I.e., sudden stops are incredibly dangerous and Uber must claim responsibility to pay for your damages.
Hospital bills — Medical treatment for head, neck, and spinal injuries can be very expensive because of the importance of the body parts. It requires careful treatment in order for you to heal to the best of your ability. You can recover the amount for your medical treatment, and any future medical procedures you need, including physical therapy.
Lost wages — When you are unable to work, you do not get paid. When you cannot get paid because of your injuries, you can receive compensation for the wages you lost while you were disabled and were unable to work. If you permanently lose the ability to work, you can receive compensation for lost potential earnings.
Emotional damages — Pain and induce psychological damage. It can cause anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other such disorders. To prove that you are suffering from psychologically, your attorney needs to know exactly how to bring an expert to testify on your behalf.
The Normandie Law Firm
We at the Normandie Law Firm are here for you the client first. We offer free legal consultation which gives you an opportunity to sit down with one of our lawyers and explain the details of your case. They will give you their initial thoughts and answer any questions you have. This comes at no cost to you, so it is to your advantage to take advantage of this deal.
We also offer the zero-fee guarantee. This means that we only charge you if prove your case and get you the compensation you deserve. If you are unable to get you the compensation you deserve, you will not pay for our legal services.
Contact the Normandie Law Firm today to see what we can do you.
Recent Ridesharing Verdicts and Settlements
