Nobody expects to be injured in a car accident involving a rideshare vehicle. Whether you were inside a rideshare vehicle or another driver using the road, Uber and Lyft drivers are often the last ones you would expect to get into a crash. Yet, in reality, it actually is not that surprising because rideshare drivers are not required to obtain any specialized training or driver certifications.
If you have been harmed by the negligence of a rideshare driver, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Unfortunately, recovering the compensation you are due can be incredibly difficult to do on your own. That is why we suggest that all rideshare accident victims consider working with a Duluth rideshare accident lawyer from Barrios & Virgüez Law Firm.
The Difference Between Rideshare Accidents and Normal Car Accidents
Technically, rideshare drivers are just as likely to get into accidents as any other driver. Yet, this does not mean that rideshare accidents are the same as other car accidents. While at the surface level, the accidents may be similar, rideshare accidents often become increasingly more complex when victims go to file personal injury claims against the at-fault party.
Although normal car accidents would simply require you to make a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider, a rideshare accident has additional steps that must be taken to recover maximum compensation. In many instances, you will need to seek compensation from the rideshare company’s insurance policy, rather than the personal insurance policy held by the rideshare driver. You may still be required to file a claim with the rideshare driver’s personal policy, but this claim has a high probability of being denied when the insurance company finds out that it is a rideshare accident claim.
When this occurs, the next step is usually submitting a claim against the rideshare company’s insurance provider. Fortunately, rideshare companies typically have robust liability insurance policies that protect riders who use their applications as well as other drivers. Still, whether your claim will be accepted or not depends on the strength of your claim and the level of fault attributed to you in the accident.
To help prove that the rideshare driver, another driver, or another party was liable in your accident, get help from a knowledgeable Duluth rideshare accident attorney.
Your Rideshare Accident Claim
It is not easy to find success in a Duluth rideshare accident claim. There are many steps involved, which often makes the task quite complicated. The first step, which is usually filing a claim with the rideshare driver’s insurance and waiting for it to be accepted or rejected, may take a long time.
Unfortunately, you are not able to skip this step either because the rideshare companies prefer to take every opportunity to minimize their own liability by allowing other insurance companies to take responsibility. In consideration of the rideshare company, it is understandable that they do this. Because their drivers are not actual employees, but instead independent contractors, the actions they engage in as they work are not always the rideshare company’s responsibility.
Therefore, it makes sense for them to expect that the driver’s personal insurance will cover any accidents they get into while working. Still, most rideshare companies provide their drivers with additional liability coverage as a backup to their personal policies.
How a Lawyer Can Help You
Once the driver’s personal insurance company denies your initial claim, you will certainly want a lawyer to step in and fight the intense legal battle for you. Getting what you are owed from a large company’s insurance provider can be overwhelmingly difficult, especially if you have no legal experience. So, stand up for your rights by hiring a rideshare accident lawyer in Duluth.
Rideshare Accident Claim Time Limits
You should always file your Duluth rideshare accident claim as soon as possible. Due to the statute of limitations placed on personal injury claims made in Georgia, you are not allowed to wait longer than two years to file a claim.
Waiting for this period to expire may result in you losing your opportunity to file at all. Yet, beyond the statute of limitations expiring, you also should not wait because doing so will limit your ability to collect valuable evidence that could advance your claim.
Compensation for Rideshare Accident Victims
As the victim of a rideshare accident in Duluth, you are entitled to compensation in several forms. Generally, the compensation you are due depends on your overall losses. These losses are converted into damages, which are broken into two primary categories.
These categories are economic damages and non-economic damages. Here is what the legal definition of each entails:
Economic Damages
These are damages that are directly tied to monetary losses. If you lost money in any way due to the accident, you can seek financial compensation for the exact value of those losses. Keep in mind that economic damages may also occur in the future, so you need to seek compensation in the present day for those future damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Your non-economic damages are losses that are not monetary. Think of things like pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment in life, or emotional distress. All of these things are intangible experiences, but they are very real.
When impacted by them due to an accident, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Calculating how much your damages actually are requires legal knowledge and previous experience with personal injury cases. There is no way to know exactly how much your case is worth without understanding how the courts would calculate your damages.
Therefore, it is crucial that you seek counsel from a Duluth rideshare accident attorney. They will guide you through the process of identifying your total economic and non-economic damages.
Barrios & Virgüez: Your Trusted Legal Partners
Who you choose to represent you in your claim matters. Do not make the wrong decision. Instead, trust a Duluth rideshare accident lawyer to protect your interests. You can get in touch with one of our representatives to schedule a free case evaluation by using the contact form on this page.
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