Were You Injured in an Uber or Lyft? North Carolina Rideshare Injury Lawyer Explains Your Rights

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Video Summary

This source highlights the specific legal challenges and opportunities associated with rideshare accidents involving companies like Uber and Lyft. While these incidents share similarities with standard car crashes regarding medical recovery and liability, they differ significantly because of the complex insurance policies provided by large corporations. Legal professionals emphasize that these high-value policies can offer greater financial compensation for victims compared to private driver insurance. However, the text warns that because these multinational firms employ aggressive legal teams, injured parties should seek immediate professional representation to preserve evidence. Hiring a firm with specific experience against rideshare adjusters is framed as essential for navigating these “tricky” scenarios and ensuring a fair outcome. This overview stresses that acting quickly is vital to prevent evidence loss while competing against a corporate defense team.

Transcription of the Video

Clarke: Let’s talk for a minute about accidents involving Uber, ride share, and Lyft, and those types of apps. First of all, how are those kinds of cases, the cases involving Uber, Lyft, and ride share, how are they the same as other types of motor vehicle accidents?

Jeff: Well, you still have somebody who’s causing injury, and people who are injured need medical treatment. They need high-quality care possible; that’s what we want to make sure we provide them. We still have an investigative team that’s going to go out and investigate this accident: what happened, and how do we preserve the evidence? We still are trying to help people recover physically, financially, and emotionally, their lost wages, mental health treatment, all the different things that you would have in any kind of injury case.

Clarke: So liability, damages, and coverage are all the same. The legal framework for recovery is all the same.

Clarke: Let me ask you this: how are they different? How are these Uber, Lyft, and ride-share cases different from other types of cases?

Jeff: Well, the coverage is different because these rider companies have their own liability policies, which often replace the driver’s policy. Because the driver is driving their own Honda Accord or whatever it is, their policy on that vehicle is not going to provide coverage because they’re driving for work. So, Uber and Lyft will come in and provide coverage for their drivers.

Clarke: That gives us an opportunity because many times these large companies have a much larger liability policy and give us access to more coverage under those circumstances.

Jeff: That’s true. And sometimes the Uber driver isn’t at fault; it’s a third party that hits the vehicle you were in while you’re with a Lyft driver. So then we want to go to the Lyft, Uber, and ride share policies and try to reach extra coverage over top of the at-fault vehicle.

Clarke: Jeff, what are some of the things that a person should look for when they’re trying to identify or hire a law firm for an Uber, Lyft, or a ride share case?

Jeff: Well, these situations could get tricky with these ride-share companies. So you want somebody that’s got experience, somebody that’s dealt with these companies, and somebody that’s dealt with these adjusters. They know us because we’ve done insurance defense work; our lawyers have been claims adjusters and have done all those things on the other side. The Uber companies, the Lyft companies, and their insurance companies know us, so they’re going to give our clients better outcomes.

Clarke: It sounds to me that, whereas in a case where someone is rear-ended by another vehicle on the street, there’s one level of experience that’s required, but when it comes to something specific and unique like an Uber or Lyft or ride share, a much greater level of experience is required, especially when it relates to those particular types of cases. Is that correct?

Jeff: That’s exactly right.

Clarke: Let me ask you this with respect to a person calling after one of these accidents: would you recommend they wait and see how things go? A lot of people are smart and independent and might try to do these things themselves. Should they see how it goes, or should they call us immediately?

Jeff: They should call us immediately. Evidence disappears if we don’t get our investigative team out there to secure it. Also, these ride-share companies have lawyers, adjusters, and teams of people building their case right from the moment the accident happens. You really have to get somebody on your side to face off against these large multinational companies, or you’re going to be playing catch-up.

Clarke: If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a ride share, Lyft, or Uber, call us immediately so that we can get started.