Uber Lawyer

Uber carries third party liability coverage which pays up to $1 million for injuries and damages. This insurance also protects you, the passenger.

What Can You Expect To Get If You’ve Been Injured In An Uber Accident?

Ridesharing services are everywhere, and the company that’s most prevalent in the entire market is Uber.

It can be easy to understand why Uber is so convenient: you don’t need to always carry cash, cars can pick you up and drop you off anywhere, and all the journeys are tracked, so you can share them with other people for safety reasons.

But what happens if you get hurt while in an Uber ride? How much compensation are you in for?

It Depends on Who Is Liable

In Missouri, all drivers need to have auto insurance. What’s more, Uber and other ride-sharing companies also require their affiliate drivers to take out car insurance.

When you are the victim of a car accident, you are entitled, by law, to compensation from the party who has caused you harm. In an Uber ride, there can be two parties involved:

• The Uber driver, who makes a mistake or is reckless;
• The other driver, who causes the accident.

If the Uber driver is responsible, then they are liable. Even if they have personal auto insurance, a lot of these policies don’t cover business rides. That means the driver is only covered when they are driving for their own use, not when they are taking Uber rides. But the good news is that Uber carries third party liability coverage which pays up to $1 million for injuries and damages. This insurance also protects you, the passenger.

If the car accident isn’t caused by the Uber driver, then you need to file a claim with the other driver’s auto insurance company and get compensated this way.

What If the Other Driver Is Uninsured?

Even though insurance is mandatory in Missouri, it’s possible to stumble upon uninsured motorists. Or, their policy may not be enough to cover the full cost of your injuries and damages. So, in these cases, who pays for your compensation?

Uber also has uninsured/underinsured insurance coverage that can pick up the slack, which is also covered at $1 million per accident. This policy is only activated when the at-fault driver is:

• Uninsured
• Underinsured
• Flees the scene and cannot be held accountable.

You need to understand that in these cases you cannot sue or file a claim against Uber. The drivers are not employees, but independent contractors, so the company is not held liable in all accidents.

As for how much compensation you get depends on:

• The extent of your injuries
• The cost of property damage
• Other hardships the accident caused (emotions; distress, missed work, etc.)

The compensation is calculated based on these criteria.

What Happens in a St. Louis Uber Accident Settlement?

About 95% of personal injury cases are settled out of court without going to trial. So if you’ve hired a St. Louis Uber lawyer to pursue a rideshare driver after an accident, and you’ve decided to accept a settlement, you may be wondering what happens next. 

Let’s discuss what you can expect if you decide to accept a settlement from Uber. 

1. Accident Investigation and Fault Determination 

Before a settlement can be obtained, a full investigation will be done by the insurance companies involved in the accident. This is done to determine fault and understand the specifics of the accident, what happened, the injuries each party suffered, and other such details.

Both your insurance company and the Uber driver’s insurance may be involved in this process. They will look at the evidence, police reports, eyewitness testimonies, and other information to determine what really happened during the accident.

2. Settlement Negotiation

Once you have filed a claim against the responsible Uber driver, the settlement negotiation process will usually begin. Basically, a settlement is a legal agreement to resolve the lawsuit in exchange for a certain amount of monetary damages, including:

• Medical expenses related to the injury
• Lost income due to missing work, disabilities, and other such issues
• Pain, suffering, and anguish due to the injuries
• Punitive damages for reckless or outrageous actions that resulted in the accident

The process is simple to understand. Your lawyer will represent you and request a certain amount of money from the responsible party. Then, they will generally counter-offer with a lower amount.

This may continue for quite a while until both parties reach an acceptable agreement. Working with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney is very important to negotiate the best possible settlement. 

3. Signing The Final Settlement

The final settlement agreement will include a lot of complex legal information, but it will outline a few basic things:

• The amount of payment and the timing of payment
• The legal rights the victim will give up by agreeing to the payment
• All other actions the involved parties have agreed upon to resolve the legal claim

It’s important to understand that once you settle your Uber or Lyft accident case, you generally cannot pursue further legal claims against them. In a settlement, you give up the right to future legal action. 

4. Obtaining Compensation

Your settlement agreement will outline how much you’ll be paid and when. Your St. Louis Uber accident lawyer will help you through the process of getting your payment and getting your finances in order.

Call The St Louis Uber Lawyers Today

Were you the victim of a car accident while taking an Uber? To know exactly who is liable and how to get compensated, please get in touch with a St. Louis Uber accident lawyer right away for a consultation.

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