There are plenty of rideshares waiting on your request, but it’s important to remember that each Uber or Lyft employee represents another vehicle on the road at rush hour. That driver may be distracted by their app notification or passengers and may not always be paying attention to the road. If you drive your own vehicle or if you walk or bike around Stockton, or if you are a passenger in an Uber car, that can be a scary thought. A fleet of distracted drivers rushing around the city can increase your risk of getting into an accident and suffering serious injury.

Uber Accident Dangers in Stockton

The threat of an accident involving Uber drivers may not seem like much to worry about until you’ve considered everything they do behind the wheel.

Drivers can cruise Stockton roads for hours before they even get a ride request. Many try to stay on the move in busy neighborhoods hoping to be closer to potential passengers. That’s just more time clogging the lanes around town and increasing the chance of a traffic collision.

Uber employees couldn’t work without their phones and that can be a major problem behind the wheel. When a driver gets a notification over a ride request they have a certain amount of time, a few seconds, to accept the ride or let it go to another driver. This will include at least one glance at a phone, and perhaps many glances to secure a passenger.

These requests can encourage a driver to speed or even go slow or stop while trying to locate a passenger or while letting them enter the vehicle.

The Calfornia Transporation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) tracks these types of dangerous traffic hazards each year. In 2019 in Stockton, there were 526 collisions attributed to speeding and drivers who were impeding traffic. That reckless driving tragically claimed four lives and left another 765 people with injuries.

Uber Insurance Coverage In Car Accidents

If you are hurt in an accident involving an Uber driver, your first step won’t be to ask Uber for help. Unfortunately, Uber does it’s best to avoid blame in accidents to try to get out of having to provide compensation to victims.

Uber requires accident victims to first file against their driver’s personal car insurance policy. If this claim is denied by the driver’s insurance company (often they do get rejected) or if the driver’s insurance doesn’t provide enough compensation, only then can victims file a claim against Uber.

Uber does provide compensation for victims, but only in certain cases. Their driver must have been on the way to pick up a passenger or have a passenger already in the car when the accident happened for their coverage to apply. In these cases, Uber offers one million dollars in liability insurance and one million dollars in uninsured /under-insured motorist coverage.

If a driver is logged into the Uber app (on-the-clock) when a collision occurs, Uber provides less coverage. Uber offers $100,000 total injury liability per accident in these circumstances.

These cases can be complicated when dealing with several different insurance policies and a reluctant national corporation. A rideshare accident attorney can help you sort out just who can be held liable for your accident and make sure you get fair compensation.

Common Uber Car Collision Injuries

The issue of insurance coverage can quickly become of vital importance when you consider the serious consequences possible in an Uber accident. Victims can suffer injuries that require months of medical care and the bills for that treatment can be enormous. The victim may also be out of work during this time. That means missing paychecks needed to pay doctor bills and needed simply to meet monthly rent and mortgage payments.

Here are just some of the potentially permanent and life-threatening injuries possible.

• Traumatic brain injuries: Caused by a blow to the head. Results can range from a mild concussion to confusion and blurry vision. Severe brain damage can rob a victim of precious memories.
• Whiplash: The quick snapping motion back and forth causing a neck sprain or strain. Some cases can last weeks or months. In some cases, pain can last a lifetime.
• Back injuries: Lumbar injuries, lower back, and disc damage can all result.
• Broken bones: From hairline to compound fractures. These injuries can be debilitating and require multiple surgeries.
• Soft tissue damage: injury to tendons, muscles, and ligaments can all cause significant pain and reduce your range of motion.

The injuries suffered by passengers in Uber Cars can be significant. Studies (CBS News) show that people riding in backseats can be much less protected than people in the front seat. They usually don’t have the advantage of airbags and more advanced seatbelts. Chest and head injuries are more common when victims are forced into impacts with the rear door and the back of the front seat.

Contact a Rideshare Accident Attorney in Stockton

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. After you tell us what happened, we can discuss all of your legal options.

Whether you were hit by an Uber driver, injured as an Uber passenger, or hurt as an Uber driver, call us today. Our goal is to help you get the maximum amount of compensation available to you for your injuries.