Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyer

Los Angeles Uber Accident Attorney

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are massively popular in Los Angeles and throughout California. These services provide an affordable and accessible alternative to public transit and standard taxi services, often available at odd hours during which other transportation options have ceased operating for the day. While most people who use rideshare services in Los Angeles have positive experiences, accidents can and do happen for the same reasons that all other vehicle accidents happen. However, rideshare accidents are likely to generate more complex legal issues for those involved.

Representing Victims of Rideshare Accidents in Los Angeles, CA

If you or a family member is struggling in the aftermath of a rideshare accident, it is important to know how to prove liability for the incident and how to secure compensation for your damages. An experienced Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney is an invaluable asset in this situation. The right attorney can not only help prove fault for the incident but also assist you in accurately calculating the scope of damages you can claim from the at-fault party. The sooner you secure legal counsel after your accident, the more likely you are to maximize your recovery.

The attorneys at Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, have years of experience providing personal injury representation to clients throughout Los Angeles, and we can provide the responsive and detail-oriented legal counsel you need to navigate a rideshare accident claim successfully. Our firm can carefully review the details of how your accident happened, help identify the driver or drivers responsible for your damages, and guide you through the process of securing the compensation you legally deserve under state law.

Benefits of Hiring a Los Angeles Rideshare Accident Attorney

It is technically possible for the victim of a rideshare accident to pursue recompense for their losses without hiring legal counsel. There is no law requiring you to have an attorney represent you in a rideshare accident claim, but investing in legal counsel you can trust can make a tremendous positive difference in the outcome of your recovery efforts.

If you do not hire legal counsel, you will be forced to contend with complex legal affairs while also managing your medical needs in recovery. You could make mistakes in the early stages of your claim and miss the chance to maximize your compensation, or you may unintentionally jeopardize your case entirely. Hiring an experienced Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney means you can focus on your recovery and personal obligations while a seasoned legal team manages your recovery efforts on your behalf.

Recovering from a rideshare accident may entail one or more auto insurance claims, and you may need to confront a rideshare company’s insurance carrier. The average person is likely to face unexpected challenges and pushback from insurance companies, but an insurer is more likely to process a claim in good faith once they recognize that a claimant has legal representation. When insurance alone is not enough to fully compensate the victim’s losses, an experienced Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney offers the claimant the optimal chance of maximizing their recovery from a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

Common Causes of Rideshare Accidents in Los Angeles, CA

Before you can file an auto insurance claim or pursue alternative legal recourse in response to a rideshare accident, you must prove exactly how the accident happened in the first place. A few of the commonly cited causes of rideshare accidents that generate complex civil suits include:

• Distracted driving. This is the most common cause of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Your Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney can help obtain driver cell phone records and other evidence needed to prove fault for this type of accident.
• Driving under the influence (DUI). It is illegal for any driver to operate a vehicle while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, but DUI continues to be a leading cause of serious accidents each year. The driver responsible for a DUI accident not only faces civil liability for the damages they inflict on others but also criminal prosecution and penalties, including driver’s license suspension, fines, and incarceration.
• Drivers have a responsibility to heed posted speed limits. When they disregard speed limits, they inherently increase the risk of causing an accident, and accidents that happen at high speeds are more likely to result in catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Moving violations. When drivers perform illegal turns, fail to yield the right-of-way, run stop signs or red lights, or fail to signal before turns or lane changes, they can easily cause serious accidents. Traffic camera recordings might be essential for proving fault if the driver responsible for your rideshare accident caused the crash by committing a moving violation.

These are just a few examples of possible causes of rideshare accidents and other vehicle accidents in Los Angeles. Your attorney can be invaluable for helping you secure whatever evidence you will need to establish liability for your rideshare accident. Once you have proven how the accident happened and identified the driver or drivers responsible, you can proceed with filing your insurance claim.

Navigating Insurance Claims Following a Rideshare Accident in Los Angeles, CA

Every driver is legally required to have auto insurance. At a minimum, an individual driver must have at least $15,000 in coverage for bodily injuries to a single person, at least $30,000 in coverage for bodily injuries to multiple persons in a single accident, and at least $5,000 in property damage liability coverage. These coverage amounts may be enough to compensate for the losses resulting from a minor accident, but any serious crash is likely to yield damages that quickly eclipse the at-fault driver’s insurance.

Rideshare drivers are required to have auto insurance, and rideshare companies have additional insurance coverage as well. However, this insurance works in different ways depending on the timing of when an accident occurs. Typically, the at-fault driver’s insurance will be used first to compensate the victim of a rideshare accident, and then the rideshare company’s insurance comes into play to cover any remainder.

Both Uber and Lyft have almost identical insurance policies that work in two ways after an accident. At the first level, this insurance can provide up to $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for a single person, up to $100,000 to cover bodily injuries to multiple persons injured in a single accident, and up to $25,000 to cover property damages. At the second level, the rideshare companies provide up to $1 million in third-party liability coverage.

When a rideshare driver has not logged into their driver app and they are using their vehicle for personal reasons, their own auto insurance would apply if they caused an accident. Once they have logged into their rideshare app and marked themselves as waiting for a ride request, the first level of the rideshare company’s insurance can apply to an accident. After they pick up a passenger, the second level of coverage takes effect until they deliver the passenger to their destination.

How Your Los Angeles Uber Accident Attorney Can Help With Your Insurance Claim

It’s possible to file an auto insurance claim without hiring an attorney, but you are more likely to secure maximum compensation for your damages if you have legal counsel advising you. Your attorney can help with every aspect of the claim filing process, and you may need to file more than one claim depending on how your accident happened and who is responsible for causing it.

Proving fault is an essential first step in recovering from any car accident in Los Angeles. Once your attorney has helped you identify the driver responsible for your accident, they can proceed with helping you file your insurance claim. First, you will need to file a claim against the driver who directly caused the accident. If their insurance cannot fully compensate you for your damages and the rideshare company’s insurance applies, you can proceed with a claim against the rideshare company’s policy. If this insurance is unavailable or your damages exceed the coverage provided by the rideshare company, you can file a personal injury suit against the party responsible for the accident.

Insurance companies are required to process all claims in good faith and honor the terms of the policies they sell. However, insurance company representatives are usually trained to look for all the reasons they can find to reduce claim payouts or outright deny claims whenever possible. Some insurance company representatives, unfortunately, engage in unethical bad faith tactics, hoping that the claimant’s desperation and lack of awareness of their rights will coerce them into accepting the lowest possible settlement offer.

When you have an experienced Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney advising you, an insurance company is less likely to attempt any bad-faith handling of your claim. Your legal team can ensure you submit all necessary documentation to speed up the review process and field correspondence from the insurance carrier on your behalf. When the insurer delivers its settlement offer, your attorney can determine whether it is fair and reasonable under the terms of the policy.

Building a Personal Injury Case for a Los Angeles Rideshare Accident

After you secure as much compensation as you can through insurance, you may have outstanding damages that you will only be able to recover with a personal injury suit. The main goal of any personal injury claim filed is for the victim to recover the compensation they need to fully compensate for the losses they suffered. State law allows the plaintiff to seek full compensation for any economic losses the defendant inflicted as well as recompense for the pain and suffering they experienced.

Economic damages are straightforward and typically proven with the appropriate documentation. These damages include any direct financial losses caused by the defendant’s negligent or illegal actions:

• The plaintiff has the right to seek full repayment of all their property losses. These may include vehicle repair costs and the cost of any personal belongings damaged or destroyed in the accident.
• If the plaintiff sustained physical injuries, the defendant is liable for all associated medical expenses. This includes future rehabilitative care the plaintiff requires to reach maximum medical improvement from their injuries. Under California law, the defendant is liable for medical treatment costs resulting from the accident, now and in the future.
• When you cannot work because of the injuries you suffered in an accident, the party responsible for the accident is liable for your lost income during your recovery period. Additionally, if you suffered any catastrophic injuries that will prevent you from working in the future, the defendant is also liable for your lost future income. Your Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney can help you accurately calculate your lost earning capacity and add this to your civil claim.

Once you account for all your economic damages, you may realize that your case is worth more than you initially expected. However, you also have the right to seek recompense for the pain and suffering you endured. There is no cap or limit on pain and suffering in a vehicle accident claim under state law.

Your Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney can help determine a suitable amount to seek from the defendant based on the overall severity of the harm you suffered. Attorneys typically seek large lump sums of pain and suffering compensation on behalf of clients who have suffered permanent injuries. This typically involves multiplying the plaintiff’s total economic damages by a factor that represents the severity of their injuries and the long-term issues they are likely to face. Alternatively, the attorney might seek pain and suffering compensation to reflect the time it will take for their client to reach full recovery from their injuries.

What You Can Expect From a Los Angeles Uber Accident Attorney

Your case could be worth far more than you expect, especially if your rideshare accident caused any long-term or permanent damage. You could face a very difficult series of legal proceedings in the aftermath of your accident, but these issues will be much easier to address when you have legal counsel you can trust on your side. You can focus on recovering from your injuries and your personal obligations while your legal team builds and manages your case.

When you hire Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, to represent you in a rideshare accident case, we can take time to thoroughly review the full extent of the harm you suffered. We can help you navigate the complex insurance-related issues you are likely to face in the aftermath of your accident and then build a comprehensive personal injury claim if insurance alone cannot repay your losses. Our objective for every civil claim we accept in Los Angeles is maximum recovery for our client. We have helped many past clients recover substantial case awards from rideshare accidents and other personal injuries, and we are ready to leverage this experience on your behalf.

FAQs About Los Angeles, CA Uber Accident Laws

Can You Sue an Uber Driver for Crashing in Los Angeles?

Resolving a rideshare accident is similar to the process of resolving any other vehicle accident, and the driver responsible for causing the accident absorbs liability for the resulting damages. Once you recover as much compensation as you can through available insurance, any outstanding damages can be included in a personal injury suit against the driver who caused the accident.

How Much Compensation Can I Recover for an Uber or Lyft Accident?

You have the right to seek full recompense for the damages you suffered in your rideshare accident. These may include vehicle repair costs and other property damages, medical expenses, and lost income if you cannot work due to your injuries. An experienced Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney can estimate the total potential value of your case and then guide you through the legal proceedings necessary to maximize your recovery.

Is the Rideshare App Vicariously Liable for the Negligence of its Drivers Under State Law?

Rideshare drivers for Uber and Lyft are independent contractors, and rideshare companies typically lean on this fact to avoid liability for the actions of their drivers. However, rideshare companies are required to conduct appropriate background checks on the drivers they hire and may face liability if they fail to fulfill any legal duties they have pertaining to hiring and onboarding. Your Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney can help determine who is responsible for your damages after an accident in an Uber or Lyft driver’s vehicle.

Can I Still Claim Compensation if I Partially Caused My Rideshare Accident?

California upholds a pure comparative fault rule. This means that if a plaintiff bears partial responsibility for causing the damages they claim in a civil suit, they can still recover compensation but lose a percentage of the total case award to reflect their shared fault. The judge handling the case will assign a fault percentage based on the plaintiff’s level of responsibility for causing the accident, and this percentage is subtracted from their final case award. For example, if a plaintiff is found 25% at fault, they lose 25% of the total compensation claimed from the defendant.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Los Angeles Rideshare Accident Attorney?

It is understandable to be concerned about legal expenses when you are already struggling with the losses suffered in a damaging accident. However, most of the personal injury attorneys representing clients in Los Angeles accept these cases on a contingency fee basis. With this billing arrangement, the client only pays legal fees if and when their attorney wins compensation on their behalf. There is no fee if the attorney cannot recover their client’s damages, and if they win the case, they only take a percentage of the total case award. This billing policy ensures the plaintiff can have the legal counsel they need without their legal expenses overtaking their total compensation.

Contact Our Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyers Today

The attorneys at Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, have years of professional experience helping victims of rideshare accidents secure recompense for their damages. You may face a more difficult series of insurance claims and other legal matters than you would after a standard vehicle accident, but you have the same rights to claim compensation. Our team is ready to assist you with all the legal issues you face in the aftermath of a rideshare accident, so contact us today and schedule a consultation with a Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney you can trust with your recovery.