The need to get across Manteca can pop up quickly. A job interview, a sudden call into work, a school function your child didn’t tell you about, a sudden craving for a burger. All are good reasons to pull out your phone and hail a ride with Uber. In minutes you could be traveling down Yosemite Avenue or across Highway 120.
Uber wastes no time tracking you down, but one negative to their services is that there could be dozens of their vehicles hunting down ride requests across Manteca at any one moment. They are just another car on the road, but their drivers can be very distracted by their jobs and end up putting other vehicles and their own passengers in harm’s way.
If you end up in a frightening accident involving a rideshare driver, you may be focused on your injuries and haven’t taken the time to think about who will accept blame for what you’ve been through. Will Uber step up or can their employee provide insurance coverage to help? It can be a tricky question but an Uber Accident Lawyer serving Manteca can sort this out for you and make sure you get the maximum compensation available to you while you heal and recover financially.
Uber Insurance Coverage in Manteca Accidents
After getting injured in an accident caused by an Uber driver you won’t be able to file a claim with Uber immediately. They like to hide behind their employees who are considered contract workers. So you’ll first have to file a claim with the driver’s insurance provider. This usually fails pretty quickly because insurance companies aren’t always willing to back their drivers when they’re working for rideshare companies.
If this claim is unsuccessful Uber coverage can then be called upon but only if an accident meets their standards. The driver must have been logged onto the app when the accident happened in order for victims to earn compensation.
If a driver was on the way to pick up a passenger or had a customer in the car at the time of the collision then Uber takes even more responsibility for the victims and can often provide even more in compensation.
If neither of these options succeeds, you may need to file a claim with your personal car insurance policy seeking money from your uninsured motorists’ coverage.
What to do after an Uber accident in San Joaquin County
As you can see, Uber is covered by insurance in case their drivers cause accidents, but they don’t make it easy to draw from that coverage. The best thing an accident victim can do is to collect evidence on the scene to use against Uber’s lawyers later.
If you’re in good enough shape try to track down these elements at the accident scene:
- Work with Emergency Responders — Let paramedics examine your injuries and give investigators a full account of what happened. Tell officers if you saw the Uber driver make a reckless move or if you saw them using a phone when they caused the collision.
- Get video and photos — Get images of the vehicles involved and the layout of lane markings, traffic lights, and street signs. Show any signage that identifies the vehicle and employee as being a part of Uber.
- Check dashcams – If you have a dashcam or if witnesses have dashcams in their cars make sure you know how to get ahold of that video for use later. Make sure to retrieve your own dashcam before your vehicle is towed away.
- Trade information with everyone involved – Get driver’s license info, insurance info, and Uber Employee numbers from the at-fault driver. Don’t make statements to other drivers about the accident or your injuries. Get witness contact information and any testimony they’re willing to write down or give on a video you take on your phone.
- See your physician. Get full documentation on all injuries from the day of the accident or those that appear in the days that follow.
Potential Uber Passenger Injuries
There’s mounting evidence that being in the backseat of an Uber car can be one of the most dangerous positions for victims. Surprisingly, the injuries suffered by passengers in the back seat can be even more severe than to someone in the front seat.
The New York Times wrote about the dangers riders can face. Experts point out that the seatbelts installed in many rear seats don’t utilize load limiters like the safety belts in the front seat, which means they can’t loosen up. In frontal crashes, backseat belts have been shown to be responsible for serious chest, abdominal, and spinal injuries.
Airbags also aren’t usually installed to protect back seat riders. It’s another danger that an Uber ride can inflict on unsuspecting travelers.
Contact a Manteca Rideshare Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury and the accident involved an Uber vehicle contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. Whether you were hit by an Uber driver, injured as a passenger, or injured as a Uber driver we can make sure you find the best path to getting the compensation you need to recover your health and financial wellbeing.
