Have you been injured in an accident in Biloxi while riding in a rideshare vehicle like Uber or Lyft? You may be entitled to compensation. Call Mama Justice – MW Law Firm to get the help you need.
When you request a ride from a Lyft or Uber, you probably expect to arrive at your destination safely. Unfortunately, rideshare drivers are not immune to causing car accidents that can leave passengers seriously injured.
Following a Biloxi rideshare accident, you are entitled to hold the person who is at fault for the accident financially responsible for your injuries. In most instances, the responsible party will be the Uber or Lyft driver. Other times, another driver or even multiple drivers could be at fault. Your losses might include expensive medical bills, property damage, severe pain, emotional trauma, and a lot more. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the rideshare accident, Lyft or Uber may have an insurance policy that covers some or all parts of the collision expenses. Our Biloxi rideshare accident lawyers can determine whether or not your expenses are covered and help you build the best possible case to get that compensation.
If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, either as a driver or as a passenger, the Mama Justice – MW Law Firm can help you get financial compensation for your damages. Our Biloxi, MS, rideshare accident lawyers are experienced in pursuing personal injury lawsuits to help our clients recover medical expenses and other losses through a fair settlement.
Our legal team can explain your legal options after an Uber or Lyft accident during a free case review. Give us a call to speak to someone right now.
Uber and Lyft Accidents are Common
More than one million rideshare drivers are currently working in the United States. That’s a lot of rideshare drivers on the road. It’s important to realize that they are not required to undergo any type of training that increases their skill level or makes them more competent than any other driver.
When Uber and Lyft accidents occur, passengers can be severely injured and face expensive medical bills and long recoveries. Even minor injuries can end up costing thousands of dollars. The cost of handling these damages will stack up very quickly, especially if you miss work too. This economic hardship should not be yours to bear if you did not cause the accident.
By filing a rideshare accident claim, you can hold the responsible parties accountable for your injuries and receive financial compensation. With a Biloxi personal injury lawyer on your side, your chances of collecting fair compensation for a serious injury increase exponentially.
What Causes Uber and Lyft Accidents?
Rideshare drivers owe their clients a duty of care to operate their Uber or Lyft vehicles in a safe manner, obey all traffic signals and signs, and not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Rideshare drivers who engage in unsafe, negligent, or careless behaviors behind the wheel endanger not only their clients but everyone else on the roadways as well.
Some of the most common contributing causes to Biloxi rideshare accidents are:
- Driving too fast
- Weaving in and out of lanes
- Driving while distracted
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Reckless driving
- Making illegal or unsafe U-turns
- Unlawful passing
- Poor vehicle maintenance
If you feel that negligence was the cause of your Harrison County Uber or Lyft car accident, call our law offices today to schedule your free case evaluation.
Understanding Uber and Lyft Accident Insurance Coverage
Rideshare companies are distinctive in that they do not employ full-time workers. Rather, their drivers are actually independent contractors who use the company’s app to link with clients who have submitted a ride request. The companies argue that they have nothing to do with their workers other than allowing them to use their technology to connect with riders. Unfortunately, this tenuous relationship often makes pursuing damages in a rideshare accident case much more complicated.
The two most popular rideshare companies in Mississippi and across the United States are Lyft and Uber. Both Uber and Lyft drivers have auto insurance coverage provided to them, but only in certain circumstances. This makes determining what, if any, insurance coverage was applicable at the time of the accident extremely difficult. For instance:
- If the driver was not working, and the rideshare app was off, their personal liability insurance would apply.
- If the driver was logged into the Uber or Lyft apps but had not yet been matched with a client, Uber, and Lyft furnish $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in insurance coverage for bodily injury or death, and $25,000 in liability coverage for property damage.
- If a rideshare driver accepts a client or is carrying clients, the ridesharing companies will provide $1 million in liability insurance coverage for property damage, bodily injury, or death until the ride is finished.
These coverage amounts comply with Mississippi law which mandates insurance coverage for transportation network companies throughout the state. In addition, Uber and Lyft also maintain insurance coverage for their delivery drivers in case of a car accident, although these amounts are quite low.
We Have Years of Experience Navigating Rideshare Accident Cases
Here at the Mama Justice – MW Law Firm, we know the most accurate and effective way to establish fault, determine the appropriate insurance coverage, and take immediate action after an Uber or Lyft vehicle accident. Our law firm has been successfully trying personal injury cases for more than four decades. Our goal is to help you receive the full compensation you are entitled to in the quickest and most efficient way possible, ensuring that you have time to focus on your family and your recovery.
Seeking Damages in a Biloxi, MS Rideshare Car Accident Case
A Biloxi rideshare accident lawyer can initiate legal action or file an insurance claim if at least one of the following is true:
- You were injured in a car accident as a rideshare passenger, driver, or third party.
- An Uber or Lyft driver caused your accident by crashing into your vehicle.
- A rideshare driver struck you on a bicycle or as a pedestrian.
- The negligence of a third party, like another driver, contributed to your crash.
In these scenarios, it is vital to have a complete understanding of your injuries and other damages you sustained before you take legal action. You have no way of knowing what fair compensation entails unless you know the full value of your medical bills, lost income, and other damages.
When our Biloxi rideshare accident lawyers represent someone injured in a car accident, we collect documentation about their injuries, prognosis, current care, future treatments, continuing medical expenses, property damage, and more. It is our job to organize all of this evidence to make the best case possible to ensure you recover full and fair compensation. With our help, you and your family will get the financial recovery necessary to move on and heal from this traumatic event.
Estimating the Value of Rideshare Accident Damages
Our skilled team of Biloxi rideshare accident lawyers will calculate the total value of your damages to pursue a fair settlement that will adequately compensate you for your losses. In most personal injury accidents, recoverable damages include:
- Medical care from the scene of the accident, hospital, and follow up treatment
- Physical rehabilitation and other associated expenses
- The cost of ongoing care
- Current and anticipated lost earnings
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property loss
- Any other associated out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death related damages in fatal accidents
If you were injured in a rideshare car accident and want to seek compensation from the liable party, reach out to our Gulf Coast Uber and Lyft accident attorneys today.
How Our Personal Injury Attorneys Will Prove Your Legal Case
By and large, the evidence needed to establish fault in a rideshare accident is the same as in other motor vehicle accidents. These claims do, however, tend to be much more challenging than other personal injury cases because of the unique structure of the relevant insurance coverage.
The insurance company for both Uber and Lyft provides liability policies that extend coverage to injured victims of accidents that involve their drivers. This can get a little bit confusing. Generally speaking, the following is how it usually works:
- If the Uber or Lyft driver is not logged into the app, their coverage is primary
- If the rideshare driver is logged in but not paired with a passenger, the rideshare company supplies a contingency insurance policy
- If the driver is paired with a passenger or has a passenger in the vehicle, the Lyft or Uber liability policy acts as the primary coverage
Our law firm will determine which insurance policy was the primary before we file a claim. Oftentimes, this requires further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Collecting evidence in these cases could mean we need to:
- Get a copy of your medical records, the police report, and other documentation
- Hire accident reconstruction experts
- Find and interview any eyewitnesses
- Protect any video of the car accident
- Send the rideshare company a spoliation letter – a request to preserve evidence
- Value and document damages and expenses
We will handle all of these tasks, determine what coverage is available, and file a claim on your behalf. Next, we will demand an equitable settlement and negotiate with the insurance company to get you the compensation you are entitled to.
If negotiations do not produce a reasonable and satisfactory settlement offer, our team of Biloxi rideshare accident lawyers are prepared to take the case to trial.
The Statute of Limitations for Biloxi Rideshare Accidents
The Mississippi statute of limitations generally gives you three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit, although certain circumstances could cause you to have considerably less time. The sooner you contact our office, the better your chances of a favorable outcome will be.
Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to reach a settlement that adequately compensates you without filing a lawsuit. The insurance company or rideshare company might refuse to take responsibility or agree to a reasonable amount. This means we will have to take further action in order to recover a fair payout. This is where the three-year deadline comes into play.
The clock begins ticking on the day of the accident and expires exactly three years later. We can file a personal injury suit against the rideshare company, driver, or a third party in the appropriate Biloxi area civil court, but this must be done before the statute expires. Because of this expiration date, it’s imperative that you seek legal representation as early as possible after you get injured.
We Handle All Car Accident Cases on a Contingency Fee Basis
When you as the injured victim work with a car accident attorney from Mama Justice – MW Law Firm, you only pay for our services if we win your case. That’s what a contingency fee basis means. Our fee will come out of the final settlement award. You will never have to pay for our services out-of-pocket, so there is no reason not to call us as soon as you can to get started on your case.
In the unlikely event that we cannot secure a settlement or court award in your case, you will not be asked to pay any attorney fees.
We will conduct all of the following legal services all on a contingency fee basis:
- Drawing up and filing your insurance claim
- Gathering and preserving case evidence
- Identifying all potential damages and liable parties
- Handling all communications with opposing counsel and insurance agents
- Negotiating for the best settlement possible
- Meeting all case deadlines
- Representing you in court
Our Biloxi Uber and Lyft accident lawyers have extensive experience in achieving successful outcomes in these kinds of personal injury cases. If you were recently injured in a Mississippi rideshare accident, call our law offices today.
Reach Out to Mama Justice Today
The Biloxi Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at Mama Justice – MW Law Firm will fight to hold the rideshare driver’s insurance company or the rideshare company liable and recover full compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Discuss your potential personal injury accident case with a member of our team today. Call us at (888) 670-9064 to schedule your free consultation.