Fairfield is right at the mid-point between San Francisco and Sacramento and if you have business in either place or you’re just craving donuts and coffee on Texas Street, getting a ride isn’t a problem. For many residents of North Bay, it’s easiest to send out a “driver needed” signal to Uber.
Their app is easy to navigate and can provide you with an affordable, usually reliable ride anywhere around Fairfield and beyond. All of that great service can come at a price to our safety though. Each call to Uber launches another driver out in the lanes and those rideshare workers are often driving distracted. It’s a danger to other motorists and pedestrians, and can even endanger you if you’re in the backseat on an Uber ride.
If you find yourself in an accident involving Uber, don’t assume the accident will be handled like a normal collision. Once you involve the driver’s insurance and the big-time company that employs them you can be in over your head as you simply try to get help with your injury recovery costs. Make sure your first call is to a local rideshare accident lawyer. Contact us for a free evaluation of your best options and an inside look at what you may be facing when Uber and its lawyers pay you a visit.
Uber Drivers and Distracted Driving Accidents In Fairfield
You may wake up and head straight to work in and around Travis Air Force Base or at the iconic Jelly Belly Factory or anywhere else in Fairfield. That Uber driver can be the first person you reach out to. You might even hit them up for a road trip over to Napa Valley for a little wine ‘n dine.
Uber traffic is steady and constant around the city. You may not know much about working for a rideshare, but it’s not hard to put together the basics and figure out why it would be a very distracting job while behind the wheel.
They rely on their cellphones for a big part of their duties, almost as much as they rely on their cars. From the beginning of their shifts, they start immediately interacting with their phones. It’s an all-day love affair that can prove very dangerous for themselves, passengers, and anyone else using the streets and crosswalks.
Here are a few of the reasons Uber drivers can be distracted and making bad decisions on Fairfield roads:
- Uber notifications — On a good day rideshare drivers may see dozens of ride requests. They all come with an audio notification that means a driver will be looking down at his or her phone. No matter how hands-free a phone is, rideshare drivers must still check out the details of a request and accept that request with a swipe. It’s a process that can take 15 seconds or longer. How far has the Uber car traveled while the driver was looking at a phone?
- Working for more than one rideshare – To boost potential rides and income many drivers work for multiple rideshares in the same shift. There are apps that help double-dippers switch back and forth from an Uber App to a Lyft App. It sounds great, but that can mean double the notifications and a boost in distractions. All while the Uber car weaves in and out of the lane beside your car.
- Driver emotional and physical state – Another threat on Fairfield roads, drowsy drivers. Uber drivers may be burning the candle at both ends. They may also be preoccupied with personal issues at home or a bad rider review. We all have to deal with bad days, but a rideshare worker has to deal with them while piloting a 3,000 lb or more vehicle.
- Pleasing the Customer – Uber passengers will do almost anything to keep picky riders happy. To get a good review they may speed to make sure the passenger arrives on time. They may drive aggressively trying to reach a rider in short order. Even with mapping help, drivers can sometimes be paying attention to street signs and unfamiliar roads and forgetting about the road in front of them.
Uber Insurance Compensation in a Fairfield Accident
If an Uber driver’s distraction or carelessness ends up landing you in a serious accident you may wonder if Uber provides any support to the victims of their rideshare endeavors. The answer is yes, in some cases.
Uber carries up to a million dollars in coverage, but if you are hurt in an accident caused by their rideshare driver, Uber won’t be your first stop. You must first file a claim with the driver’s own insurance provider. This claim may be rejected because the insurance firm doesn’t feel like it should cover its policyholders when they are driving in service to Uber. If this is the case, or the driver’s policy doesn’t provide enough in compensation to cover your injury costs, then Uber can be called upon.
Uber’s million-dollar coverage applies in accidents that happen while there’s a passenger in the car or if the driver is on the way to pick up the passenger. You might be that passenger when the accident happens and you could be injured and have to try to draw from Uber’s insurance protection.
Uber provides less coverage if the driver didn’t have a ride request when the crash happened but was logged into the app. If the driver had just logged out of the app, you might have a hard time getting Uber to take responsibility. An attorney can help you secure these and other options to get you compensation for your injuries, even if you end up having to go through your personal insurance policy for an uninsured motorist claim.
Contact a Fairfield Uber Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in an accident caused by an Uber driver, you should never have to face your medical bills and make-up your lost income at work by yourself. Uber is a billion-dollar company that should absolutely support any victim injured in an accident. An attorney working to defend your rights can make sure that happens.
If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury and the crash involved an Uber vehicle, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. Tell us what happened and let our attorneys fill you in on your best path forward.
