Without any doubt, living in the 21st century without some sort of vehicle is almost impossible. You will need a lot of time to go to work, get back home, visit your friends, etc. However, what to do when you do not have a car?
First of all, some people simply do not have a driver’s license. Of course, these cases are rare, but there are still some people that are simply not interested in getting one. Another reason why you may need some form of transportation is car repair. We sometimes need to wait for a couple of days or even weeks to get our vehicle back in a good condition. Finally, when people go to different events such as weddings, birthdays, and others, it is recommendable the leave their vehicle at home. In that way, everyone is going to remain safe!
Logically, you are not going to go by a walk to different locations in all these cases. Instead of that, there is a big chance you will contact Uber or Lyft drivers to transport you from one place to another. For a relatively affordable amount, you can go everywhere and ensure yourself peace of mind.
Yet, bad things happen all the time. Even if your Uber or Lyft driver is a professional, no one guarantees you may not experience a car accident. Don’t worry, these things happen rarely, and we do not intend to be negative here. All we have to do is to tell you what to do if you get injured in an Uber or Lyft car accident.
People mostly get shocked when something like this happens. Because of that, they make some unreasonable moves that make the entire situation even worse. Because of that, we would like to provide you with a few helpful tips that will ensure everything goes in the right direction. Let’s go!
Before Everything, You Need to Calm Down
The first thing you would probably want to do is to get out of the vehicle as soon as you can. However, doing that is not quite recommendable. The first thing you need to do is to calm down. It may happen that you experienced an injury, and trying to walk may make things even worse. Check out if the vital parts of your body such as arms, legs, back, or neck are fine. When you clearly know that everything is fine, then you can get out of the vehicle.
Call 911 In Case No One Else Did That
We don’t want to harm the reputation of Lyft and Uber. Most of their drivers are extreme professionals. However, there is a minority of them that are not quite good drivers (and people). It may happen that some of them will be aware of the consequences, and they would try to escape the “crime scene”. In that case, you have to call 911.
It may also happen that the driver is extremely injured. In that case, calling 911 is your duty. Of course, there is a big chance some of the witnesses will do that before you, but don’t wait for something like that to happen.
Don’t Refuse Medical Help
If your injuries are visible, then you need to get medical help from the ambulance that comes to the place where the accident occurs. Some passengers refuse that because they do not feel too bad. On the other hand, others refuse it because of the shock, fear, and some other bad emotions.
Doing this is important for two different reasons. First of all, you will get a medical report that you can use on the court later for personal injury claims. On the other hand, it is important to ensure that everything is fine. Certain injuries do not allow delay, and the doctors need to react on time.
Speaking of injuries, some of them may not be visible. For instance, what if you experienced internal bleeding or shell shock? There is a chance you won’t feel any pain because of the high level of adrenaline. However, in these cases, you will have to visit the ambulance as soon as possible. That is the main reason why we said you should calm down and make reasonable decisions after the accident. You won’t manage to determine how you feel if you are too scared.
Don’t Give Statement to Uber or Lyft
Be sure that someone from Uber, Lyft, or any other rideshare vehicle is going to contact you for a statement. However, you do not have to do that. More precisely, it is recommendable you do not give any statements to them. Instead of that, it is much better to call a car accident lawyer that will guide you through the process. Your only responsibility is to give the statement to the court as a witness or victim. No one else has the right to ask you questions, and we recommend you remember this!
Check Out If the Driver Did Have the App Turned
Well, here comes something that all the passengers that experience a Lyft or Uber accident need to know. In case the driver did not turn on the app while driving, Uber is not responsible for covering the costs you may claim for. On the other hand, if the driver had it, then they need to cover all the bodily injury as well as property damage to a certain limit.
These limits are not fixed, and they directly depend on the circumstances that happened when the accident occurred. Believe it or not, if the passenger was inside the vehicle, these companies can offer up to $1 million in coverage.
On the other hand, if the driver didn’t have the app turned on, then you will need to file a typical car accident claim. The private insurance of the driver will have to cover all the costs that occurred.
Final Thought
As you see, the most important thing of all is to calm down! Other steps mentioned in this article can be successfully taken only if your mind is clear. Keep in mind you will need to give a statement to the police officers that arrive at the location where the accident occurs. We recommend you provide all the details and ensure the case end properly.
There are probably more details about the Uber and Lyft car accidents you would want to know. If that’s the case, then you may want to check out Sierra Legal Group and gain all the necessary pieces of information that are not mentioned in this article. It is always smart to collect all the pieces of information even if you never experience a car accident in the future.
