Since the inception of ridesharing companies such as Uber in 2009 and Lyft in 2012, much has been scrutinized regarding the safety and protection of both drivers and riders. Legislation governing ridesharing companies is even newer, with many states still in the process of forming laws regulating aspects of this service such as driver background checks, vehicle inspections, insurance requirements, pick-up locations, and fees the apps can charge.
One thing is for certain – rideshare companies have changed the way people travel all over the world. While the debate around the safety of additional rideshare options rages on, accidents can and will continue to occur.
Whether you are a driver for a ridesharing service or a passenger, UberLawyer.com is the best attorney for Uber accidents. You should know the facts about when and how accidents occur within this service, so you can understand your rights.
Here we highlight for you 10 important facts and statistics to know about Uber accidents:
- 9% of Uber trips end without any safety incident. This is according to a recent 2019-2020 Safety Report published by Uber.
0.1% of trips recorded by Uber had a support request for a safety-related concern. The majority of these requests were for complaints against driving or for a verbal argument. As it stands, Uber is still a safe option for drivers and passengers alike.
- In the same report, Uber goes on to state that 90% of Uber-related car crashes occur in urban areas. Generally, this can be explained by the amount of Uber services available in urban versus rural areas.
- The introduction of rideshare services has led to a 2-3% annual increase in traffic fatalities. This data was collected during a study conducted by Rice University and the University of Chicago, analyzing fatal crash rates in cities where rideshare companies have launched.
A theory of why this might be is due to the increased number of cars on the road. More traffic, more car density, more accidents.
- Rear-end crashes attribute to the highest amount of Uber accident injuries, at 33%. The next most common is angle crashes, such as side-impact collision, at 26%. As a passenger in an Uber, injuries sustained during these crashes are more likely to impact you than the driver.
Regardless if you are the driver or passenger in an Uber accident, hiring the best attorney for Uber accidents will ensure you are protected from the very beginning.
- Driver rights to Uber insurance compensation due to an accident claim depend upon the phase the ride is in at the time of accident. For example:
- Period 0 (Offline) – claims must be covered by personal insurance
- Period 1 (Online, Waiting for a Request) – Uber will provide some coverage
- Periods 2 and 3 (Fare Accepted, Passenger Pickup) – Uber will provide full coverage
Speak with an attorney today to learn more about the specific coverages for each period.
- If you are in an accident as a passenger, protection under Uber’s insurance policy extends to you as well. You may also be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the party at fault for the accident and any damages incurred.
- Accidents can be defined as more than vehicular. Uber drivers may become the victim of assault or property damage from their passengers. In the unlikely event that this should occur, drivers are entitled to coverage under Uber’s insurance policy.
In these situations, it is important for drivers to contact an attorney to represent their rights, and UberLawyer.com is the best attorney for Uber accidents.
- Uber shares specific safety tips for their drives as recommendations to avoid accidents and other potentially dangerous situations. These include:
- Using only correct drop-off and pick-up zones when collecting passengers.
- Encouraging passengers to always ride in the backseat.
- Making sure seatbelts are always fastened for the duration of the ride.
- Giving feedback on the riders in order to protect others from a potentially dangerous situation in the future.
- If an accident with an Uber driver and vehicle was caused by another driver who does not have insurance coverage, Uber has uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage that applies to the trip.
- It could take anywhere from a few months to two years to settle an accident claim with Uber. There are many parts to this process, and each take a unique amount of time.
Again, it is of vital importance to contact the best attorney for Uber accidents as soon as possible after the accident has taken place. Your attorney can begin this lengthy process and shorten the amount of time it takes for you to receive the compensation owed to you.
Understanding the policies involved, the coverages within these policies, and the situations and timeframes in which the policies apply can get incredibly complicated.
Uber has taken specific precautions to protect themselves in the event of driver and rider accidents, which makes it harder to file claims against the company.
That is why you need the best attorney for Uber accidents by your side, representing your interests and getting you the compensation you deserve.