Injured in an Uber? Here’s What to Do for Safety

Ride sharing has become very popular in the last few years all over the US, the world, and especially in the greater Seattle area. It works on a peer-to-peer driver-partner concept where drivers (who are owners of their own car) partner up with a company such as Uber or Lyft to provide rides to potential customers. Today, ordering a ride has become a piece of cake due to the availability of smartphone apps, social media, GPS navigation devices and online services. However, as the ride share industry continues to rapidly increase, so does the number of accidents and collisions involving Lyft and Uber drivers.

If You Are In An Accident Involving Uber:

  • Call 911 if necessary.
  • Seek medical attention. Even if you do not think your injuries are serious, it is still a good idea to get a medical evaluation to rule out any internal injuries and to legally protect yourself if further injuries present themselves later.
  • Use your phone to take photos and videos of the crash scene and of the damaged cars.
  • It is also a good idea to jot down as much information as you can, including:
  • Your driver’s name and information
  • Any other involved parties’ names, contact information, and insurance information
  • The contact information for any bystanders who saw the crash

Report the incident to Uber using the app. This may be done via the Uber App as follows (correct as at June 2018. App updates may change the process):

  • Open menu in Uber app.
  • Go to ‘Your trips’.
  • Select trip in which incident occurred.
  • From ‘Select an issue’ options, select ‘I was involved in an accident’.
  • Complete the form that is shown with date, time of incident, location / intersection of accident, details of any injuries, description of incident.
  • Submit the form and wait for Uber team member to get in touch to provide assistance. Uber will attempt to get in contact using your phone number or email address stored in the app. Ensure phone and email are up to date.

Who Drivers Should Contact

If a ride sharing driver is involved in an accident while using a ride sharing app, then he or she will need to make a claim on the policy offered through the ride sharing company. However, if the ride sharing driver is not using a ride sharing app at the time of an accident, then he or she will have to rely on his or her own personal auto insurance policy for legal accident benefits.

If the other driver was at fault in causing the accident, then the ride sharing driver must submit any fault-based claim to the other driver’s insurance.

Who Passengers and Third Parties Should Contact

Ride-sharing passengers and third parties will look to their own personal auto insurance, if any. However, for fault-based claims against the ride-sharing driver or another driver, the passenger or third party should make a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company.

Whether you were an Uber driver, a passenger in an Uber, or a third-party driver or pedestrian who was hit by an Uber, the attorneys at Elsner Law Firm are skilled lawyers for rideshare crashes and ready to assist you with your personal injury claims. Contact them today for a free case evaluation and discover the benefits a personal injury lawyer can bring to your case.