Las Vegas Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have become very popular in most major American cities, offering an easy alternative to taxis and public transportation. However, when Uber and Lyft drivers get into accidents with other drivers, determining liability and sorting through the related insurance issues can be extremely complex. If you or a relative sustained injuries in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver, contact DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo today to schedule a free case evaluation with a Las Vegas Uber/Lyft accident lawyer.

Why Hire Our Firm?

• DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo in Las Vegas has represented clients in all types of civil cases since 1979. With more than 40 years of legal experience, our attorneys are confident in their ability to handle the most complex cases.
• We believe in maintaining close and direct communication with clients. If you need an update on your claim, you will hear from your attorney, not a legal assistant or paralegal.
• Our firm offers free consultations to potential new clients. A free consultation is an opportunity to meet with one of our attorneys with no financial obligation or commitment to hire our firm.
• We believe in helping everyone find legal representation when they need it most regardless of personal finances. This is why we offer contingency fee billing to our clients; it ensures we only collect legal fees when we win cases.

How Can an Attorney Help With a Las Vegas Uber or Lyft Accident?

Uber and Lyft must offer insurance coverage in the event one of their drivers causes an accident and both companies offer accident coverage up to one million dollars for a single incident. However, there are countless disclaimers and exclusions to these policies, and coverage only applies in very specific situations. An attorney can help determine if Uber or Lyft are liable for a client’s injuries or if liability falls to one or more other defendants.

A Las Vegas personal injury attorney can also handle the client’s other insurance issues, subpoena evidence like phone records and traffic camera data, and arrange for expert witnesses to testify in support of the client’s case. Safety experts, engineers, medical professionals, and financial experts are some of the most commonly seen expert witnesses in car accident cases.

Uber and Lyft Accident Coverage

After the advent of rideshare companies, the unclear nature of liability for accidents with rideshare drivers spurred U.S. lawmakers to create insurance coverage requirements for these companies. Today, both Uber and Lyft carry insurance policies that apply to any accident that occurs with one of their drivers who is on the clock at the time of the accident.

• Period 0 – If a rideshare driver causes an accident, but they are not signed into the app to work, then their personal insurance carrier will be responsible for paying compensation to those who sustain injuries and property damage.
• Period 1 – If a driver is signed into the app to work but is still waiting for the company to tell them that they have a fare when they cause an accident, then their personal carrier will primarily be responsible for paying compensation to those who sustain injuries or property damage. However, both Uber and Lyft do have supplemental insurance policies to help pay for injuries or property damage in the event the personal carrier limits are exhausted.
• Periods 2 & 3 – If a rideshare driver causes an accident when they are on the way to pick up a sanctioned passenger or already have the passenger, then both Uber and Lyft have liability insurance policies worth more than $1 million to pay for expenses of any party involved in the incident.

In some cases, a third party causes an accident with an Uber or Lyft driver, and liability for this incident would likely fall to that at-fault driver. Uber and Lyft drivers should also know that their own personal auto insurance coverage will likely not apply if they get into an accident while driving for pay. Every driver should pay very close attention to the fine print of their auto insurance policies if they plan to take up driving for Uber or Lyft for extra income.

How Much Compensation is Available?

There is no set amount of compensation paid to an Uber or Lyft accident victim in the Las Vegas area. Rather, the insurance carriers or a personal injury jury will examine the facts of the case at hand. Each case is different. Several factors can influence how much compensation a person receives if their claim is successful. These factors include:

• The severity of the injuries
• The limitations of insurance policies
• Whether or not there was shared fault
• How long it takes a person to recover
• The level of property damage
• The verifiable level of pain and suffering endured by a victim

The goal is for an Uber or Lyft accident victim to receive enough compensation to make them “whole” after the incident, and this figure will be different for every case.

Time Limit for Filing a Claim

Vehicle accident victims in Las Vegas, including those harmed in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, have a limited amount of time to file their claims. First, the insurance carriers involved in these cases are going to have very specific deadlines. We encourage individuals harmed in a rideshare accident to file an insurance claim as soon as possible.

Additionally, the Nevada personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date an injury occurs. If an Uber or Lyft accident victim fails to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party within this timeframe, they will likely not be able to recover any compensation for their losses.

Paying for an Uber or Lyft Accident Attorney in Law Vegas

It can seem impossible to be able to afford a legal team after sustaining an injury in an Uber or Lyft accident. However, our rideshare accident lawyers handle these claims on a contingency fee basis. This means that crash victims do not pay anything until after we successfully recover the compensation they are entitled to. The total legal fees will be an agreed-upon percentage of the settlement or jury verdict. Additionally, if we do not win the case, our clients will pay absolutely nothing in legal fees.

Steps to Take in the Hours and Days After the Accident

There are various steps that rideshare accident victims in Las Vegas can take that could help improve their chances of recovering more compensation. However, the primary objective after an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle is your personal health, which is reflected in a few steps:

1. Seek medical care. The priority right after a crash must be seeking medical care for any injury victims. Even if individuals say they do not feel any pain, there could still be delayed or hidden injuries they are unaware of covered up by the initial rush of adrenaline caused by the incident. All crash victims should seek medical treatment, which has the added bonus of establishing a direct link between any injuries that do occur and the incident.
2. Call the police. The police need to come to the scene of a Las Vegas Uber or Lyft accident so they can conduct a preliminary investigation, just like they would with any other vehicle accident. Victims will need the accident report in order to pursue compensation through an insurance settlement or a personal injury trial.
3. Gather evidence. Individuals at the scene can use a phone to take photographs of everything they see, including vehicle damage, injuries, debris, causes of the incident, and more. These same cameras can be used to take an overall video of the incident. Additionally, the contact information for any eyewitnesses should be written down as soon as possible before they leave.
4. Contact a lawyer. You should reach out to a skilled Uber and Lyft accident lawyer in Las Vegas who can begin an investigation immediately. There will be various types of evidence that must be gathered in the days and weeks that follow the initial crash, and an attorney is best suited to obtain this information.
5. Stay away from social media. As tempting as it can be to post about your rideshare accident on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok, we encourage you not to do so. Anything you say online about your injuries or the recovery process could be recorded by the other team and used against you. It is not uncommon for insurance carriers or lawyers for the defendant to misinterpret things victims post online and use the post against them.
6. Continue medical treatment. Finally, we strongly encourage individuals to continue all medical treatments recommended by their medical professional. Discontinuing care early, even if you think you are completely healed, could give the insurance carriers or the defendant’s legal team a reason to pay less compensation. We encourage you to speak to your attorney before making any decisions about discontinuing medical treatment against physician advice.

Call a Las Vegas Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer Today

Due to the myriad insurance complications that can arise from an Uber or Lyft accident, hiring an attorney to handle your claim is a wise choice. An attorney can help you navigate complex insurance issues, determine liability for your accident, and gather the evidence you need to prove the full extent of your damages. Contact DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo in Las Vegas today at (702) 466-1492 to schedule a free consultation with a Las Vegas Uber/Lyft accident attorney.