Follow our guide on what to do after an Uber accident to avoid jeopardizing your future personal injury claim.
Summary
- If you are injured in an Uber accident, exchange information with others involved and ensure you or your driver call 911 to have police come to the scene and make a report.
- Document the crash scene with photographs as you await the arrival of law enforcement and paramedics.
- Consider talking to a personal injury lawyer before reporting the accident to Uber, as anything you say to Uber could affect your ability to get compensation for your injuries.
As rideshare services expand, more people are encountering complex legal cases where the Uber they were riding in is involved in a crash. Unfortunately, many rideshare passengers are familiar with the feeling of finding themselves inside of a car with a stranger behind the wheel, suffering from injuries, and unsure of what to do next.
Car accident injuries, whether an Uber driver is at the wheel or not, can be serious. You may have sustained injuries like a broken leg, a spinal cord injury, or even head trauma. To recover compensation for the damages caused by these injuries, you need to know what steps to take if you’re in an Uber accident.
The North Dakota Uber accident lawyers of Sand Law PLLC are seasoned negotiators who can assist you in maximizing your compensation. Below, we offer advice on how to handle yourself in the aftermath of an Uber accident to protect your ability to secure a settlement. You can reach out to us to schedule a free consultation at (701) 394-4744 or use our contact form.
What To Do After Your Uber Accident
Some of the steps you would take if you had a car crash would be the same if you were to become involved in an Uber accident. Those include:
- Assessing yourself and others for injuries
- Calling 911 to summon a police officer and paramedics to the crash scene (if your Uber driver or another motorist has not done so already
- Recording personally identifying, vehicle, and insurance information for all parties involved in the crash and contact details for eyewitnesses
- Taking photographs of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and your injuries
- Seeking medical attention
However, one step that you will want to follow after a North Dakota rideshare accident is to potentially report the incident to Uber as compared to an insurance company. The rideshare company has a “report an accident” tool in its app whereby drivers, riders, and even third parties can report crashes.
Reporting a crash allows you to tap into the $1 million in insurance coverage Uber carries to cover passenger injuries. Just keep in mind that if you do report an accident directly to Uber, they’re going to ask a lot of questions regarding what happened.
Anything you say and do could affect your ability to secure a settlement. This is why Uber accident injury victims consult with a North Dakota personal injury attorney before reporting their accident to the rideshare company.
Rideshare Service Safety Statistics
As you find yourself in the backseat of a stranger’s vehicle suffering from injuries, you may be asking yourself whether you should have more thoroughly researched “Is Uber safe?” before riding in one. Millions of people use rideshares every day without incident. However, now that you face a long road to recovery from your injuries, questions regarding Uber’s safety record may be consuming your thoughts.
According to the most recent Uber US Safety Report, 99.9% of all trips between 2019 and 2020 were unremarkable. That same data reveals that only 0.0002% of rideshare rides provided resulted in what the company refers to as a “critical safety event,” a category that appears to include public and road safety incidents as well as sexual assaults. The same Uber report shows among accidents that occurred, at least 59 individuals lost their lives in 2019.
However, that number dropped to as low as 42 during a subsequent year. It’s unclear how many crashes left riders injured. While any injuries or deaths are too many, the injury or fatality rate is low if you take a bird’s eye view of the data. Statistics widely available online suggest that over 20 million take an Uber ride every day, a number that, if true, equates to billions per year.
Uber’s driver screening policy clearly outlines how the rideshare company reviews its drivers’ criminal and motor vehicle records before approving them for the platform. Some of the same dangerous motorists you have to worry about when you drive are the same ones Uber drivers do.
For example, this includes reckless motorists who cause drunk driving accidents, distracted driving crashes, and operate their vehicles aggressively causing road rage wrecks. As a rideshare passenger, you are still vulnerable to car accident injuries, regardless of who is behind the wheel.
What To Do If You Were Injured in a North Dakota Uber Accident
In an ideal world, all Uber rides would occur without incident. However, that’s, unfortunately, not the case. If you’ve had the misfortune of suffering catastrophic injuries while riding in an Uber, know that you have rights. There is no law on the books here in North Dakota requiring car crash victims to pursue an insurance claim or car accident lawsuit after an accident or to hire a personal injury lawyer to do so.
However, your medical costs are sure to be hefty if an Uber crash injures you. Sorting out liability so you can recover maximum compensation can prove challenging. Therefore, getting one of our car accident attorneys involved is best.
Once hired, a personal injury attorney can serve as a gatekeeper between you and an insurance company and anyone else who may reach out regarding the wreck, allowing you the space and time to focus on your recovery. In addition, they can begin building your case with the ultimate goal of holding your Uber driver, the rideshare company itself, another motorist, or anyone else responsible.
Contact Sand Law to Learn How We Can Help With Your Uber Accident Claim
No one wants to be a statistic, especially when it comes to suffering injuries in a car wreck. Getting slammed with medical bills, being forced to stay home from work to heal, and dealing with mental exhaustion can make the aftermath of an Uber accident that much worse.
Sand Law PLLC is here to ensure that you have the legal support you need while pursuing compensation for your damages in an Uber accident lawsuit. When you work with us, you can feel confident that we’ll do everything possible to protect your best interests. You can reach us by using our online contact form or by phone at (701) 394-5396.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover compensation if I contributed to causing the Uber crash that injured me?
North Dakota has a modified comparative fault rule in place. It requires claimants to be less than 50% responsible for an injury incident to recover compensation for their losses. Thus, if something you did played a significant role in causing your crash, you may not be entitled to any damages in your case.
What elements of negligence apply to Uber accident cases?
Like any other motor vehicle collision, you must show that a motorist or other defendant owed you a duty of care. Additionally, you need to prove they breached that responsibility, and in doing so, it caused you to sustain damages, which you can assign a monetary value to.
What types of losses can I recover compensation for after a wreck with injuries in an Uber?
North Dakota law may allow you to request compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish or emotional distress, and other types of damages. You may additionally be able to file a wrongful death or survival action to recover the funeral and other related costs.