You’re sitting in slow-moving traffic in the backseat of a Lyft, and suddenly you hear a loud noise. WHAM! The next thing you know, your vehicle is on the sidewalk, and you feel blood running down from your temple. What do you do now?
This situation could make anyone distraught because not only are they now late for wherever they were trying to go, but they now have to worry about how they are going to recover money to pay for the costs of a personal injury they had no role in causing.
Fortunately, you can follow a simple procedure to increase your chances of successfully obtaining compensation for your injury, regardless of who is later determined to be at fault. Just follow the steps below, and make sure to consult with an experienced Uber accident attorney in San Francisco as soon as you are able.
Feel free to call me to discuss your matter as well, Eric Gruber, The Uber Accident and Lyft Lawyer in San Francisco.
1. Check on Yourself, Your Driver and Everyone Else
The first thing you should do after any accident is assess the condition of everyone involved, including yourself. Check yourself for injuries, including both visible ones like the head wound described above and non-visible ones like torn muscles or broken bones. If you are too woozy or in pain, have someone else help check you over so that you can accurately describe your condition to paramedics.
If you are able to move, see and speak, you should check on the status of your driver and anyone else involved in the accident.
2. Make Sure the Police Are Coming So You Can Make a Statement
Once you know the condition of everyone involved in the accident, you or someone else should dial emergency services immediately. Request an ambulance if anyone is severely injured and in need of immediate medical attention. Have a police officer come to the scene of the accident to assess the situation and to file an official police report.
You will want to make a statement to be included in the police report regarding your perspective. Report your own injuries and the events leading up to the accident. Describe the driver’s actions in particular detail, if you can, such as whether or not they were distracted before the accident occurred. Also make sure to give details about the accident itself, assuming you were observing what happened at the time.
3. Get Information From Everyone Involved
You will want your own copy of information used in the police report. Get the full name, number and address of your Uber driver as well the policy number for their own liability insurance. Get the same information from any other drivers involved in the accident. Question witnesses and write down their contact information, as well. You can record video of witness statements using your smartphone.
If you are physically able to, document the accident, including taking photos of the accident scene and your own injuries.
4. Get Immediate Medical Attention
If you have any sort of injury, you should seek urgent medical treatment from a nearby emergency department or urgent care clinic. Keep a copy of your discharge papers and any other documentation, such as x-rays or prescriptions.
If your condition is so severe that you have to leave the scene of the accident before making a statement to the police, request that an officer come to the hospital so you can present your side of the story.
5. Be Wary of Talking to Uber or Other Insurers
Uber, Lyft or any other rideshare company will be worried about your ability to sue them, so they will likely contact you to get an idea of your position. The same goes for insurance adjusters for other parties involved. You are not obligated to tell them anything other than what you included in the police report. You can say, “the remaining details of the accident are still under a personal investigation, and I will reveal them at the appropriate time.”
6. Get Help From an Experienced Uber/Lyft Accident Attorney
You will have multiple possibilities for claiming the costs of your injuries and other damages. Depending on the details of the accident and who was at fault, you may have to file under:
- The Lyft/Uber driver’s personal car insurance policy
- The ridesharing company’s $1M commercial insurance policy
- The liability policy for the other driver(s) involved
- A combination of the above if fault is shared
You may have to file for the injuries under your own medical insurance policy, as well, which you will then need to seek reimbursement from the above sources.
Because the options are so numerous and the ultimate liability could fall onto any party, you are going to need an experienced ride sharing accident lawyer to represent your interests and ensure that your injury costs don’t come out of your own pocket. You have the right to seek damages against drivers — and sometimes companies — in civil court if they are at fault, in addition to pressing criminal charges.
You can find out if you are able to claim compensation for your personal injury stemming from an Uber accident or Lyft accident, including emotional distress and pain and suffering, by speaking to Eric Gruber, the Uber Accident and Lyft Lawyer, about your potential San Francisco personal injury case.
You can contact the Gruber Law Group today to get started. To receive a free consultation, use the number or the convenient contact form you see to the right.
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