With over 36% of Americans using rideshare apps (Uber has 93 million active users alone), the potential for accidents exists. You’re relying on your driver to be up to the task of transporting you. And like all road travel, you’re relying on pedestrians and other road users to act according to the rules of the road.
Accidents occur when that doesn’t happen, potentially entitling you to as much as $1 million in compensation via the rideshare operator’s insurance policy. Claiming that compensation is the tricky part. That’s why it’s crucial to follow certain steps that ensure you gather evidence and are prepared to make your case if you’re injured in a rideshare accident.
Step 1 – Report the Accident to Law Enforcement
Every compensation claim requires an official record of the incident created by a police officer. Don’t allow a rideshare driver (or other guilty party) to prevent you from calling the police. Even if the accident is minor, you may suffer injuries that entitle you to compensation. By calling the police, you follow correct procedure and ensure the creation of a report containing details gathered from witnesses and those directly involved in the accident.
Step 2 – Gather Evidence at the Scene
Given that the average police response time in New York is 33 minutes, with similar times seen across the United States, you should be able to gather some evidence. But be aware. This is also time that the guilty party could use to escape the scene.
Don’t attempt to intervene directly if that situation occurs. Instead, focus on taking pictures of the vehicles involved in the accident and corralling any witnesses who can offer insight for the police’s official record.
Avoid moving anything at the scene unless you need to provide direct medical attention to an injured party.
Step 3 – Seek Medical Attention
Though this is listed as Step 3, seeking medical attention may be your priority if you’re so badly injured that you’re unable to call the police or gather evidence. But it’s still an important step, even in cases where you believe you have minor injuries for several reasons.
For example, many injuries common in rideshare accidents don’t manifest symptoms until later. In whiplash cases, you may not realize that the aches and pains in your neck aren’t going away until several weeks after the accident. Seeking medical attention after allowing so much time to pass could damage your compensation claim. Of course, it’s also important to seek medical attention to take care of yourself.
Go to a hospital as soon as you’re confident that the police have arrived and evidence is gathered (or in the process of being gathered). Use this visit to generate a medical report that gets added to your records and is usable in court.
Step 4 – Get Your Rideshare Driver’s Information
You’ll ideally have some basic information about your rideshare driver from your app, such as their name and vehicle registration number. But you need more. Rideshare providers have insurance policies that cover their drivers, which you’ll likely claim against when seeking compensation. In Uber’s case, these policies offer third-party liability insurance that covers up to $1 million during trips.
You need your driver’s information to make your claim. Collect the following from the driver, if you don’t already have it:
- Full name
- Insurance provider (typically the rideshare company but you may also want to collect their personal insurance details)
- The car’s make, model, registration number, and license plate number
- The driver’s phone number
Step 5 – Consult a Rideshare Injury Attorney
The seemingly logical final step is to contact the rideshare company so you can report the accident and start your compensation claim. It’s an important step, but one which you should hold off on until you do something just as crucial – contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in rideshare accidents.
You do this for several reasons, the most important of which is that the rideshare provider, your driver, or others involved in the accident may contest your version of events. You may have to go to trial as a result. Having an attorney in your corner from the start of the process makes it easier for you to build your case because you have the help of an expert.
Once you have an attorney on retainer, contact the rideshare company to start your claim.
Prepare Your Case
Given that rideshare accidents account for as many as 1,100 accidents involving motor vehicles every month, your chances of being involved in one may be higher than you think. Should that unfortunate situation occur, following these five steps ensure you gather appropriate evidence, have reports ready to present in your claim, and have an attorney by your side to help you through the process.