Ventura Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer
If you decide to take a rideshare vehicle to your destination in Ventura, the last thing you might expect is to get involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, rideshare drivers cannot always be trusted to drive safely and prudently. They may drive while distracted, drowsy, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
If you suffer an injury in an Uber or Lyft accident, contact the car accident lawyers in Ventura at Rose, Klein & Marias LLP to help you with the recovery process. We can assist you with your rideshare accident claim and take over the legal process to fight for the best possible results. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Us?
- Our Ventura personal injury lawyers have been representing clients for more than 80 years. We are widely regarded as being at the top of our field by our peers and the legal community.
- Our law firm has recovered over $5 billion for our clients. We can go up against any adversary, including Uber, Lyft or another rideshare company, on your behalf.
- You won’t pay your rideshare accident attorney any fees upfront since we accept cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will only pay us if we win your case.
How a Ventura Rideshare Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you are debating the pros and cons of hiring an attorney during your rideshare accident claim in Ventura, let us make your decision easier. Many benefits come with hiring an experienced car accident lawyer. For example, crash victims who retain attorneys have much higher chances of maximizing their financial recoveries. Attorneys have legal resources and experience to allow them to effectively negotiate with insurance companies.
Without an attorney, a rideshare company may try to take advantage of you to protect itself from liability. Your lawyer will fight for fair compensation for your past and future losses, even if this requires taking your case to court. You can trust an attorney to investigate your rideshare accident, give you tailored legal advice and guidance, determine responsibility for your crash, hire experts to strengthen your case, and deal with insurance companies for you – all while you focus on healing.
Steps to Take After an Uber or Lyft Accident in Ventura
It is important to realize that the steps you take matter after being involved in a rideshare accident in Ventura. The rideshare company will have investigators and a legal team looking into your claim and searching for reasons to diminish your payout or deny payment altogether. For this reason, it is essential to know what to do in the aftermath of a crash.
Here are 10 basic steps to take:
- Check yourself and everyone else involved in the accident for injuries.
- Get medical care immediately.
- If your rideshare driver does not do so, call 911 yourself to report the accident.
- Exchange information with the Uber or Lyft driver and the drivers of any other vehicles.
- Write down the contact information of any passengers or eyewitnesses.
- Document the crash scene by taking videos and photographs.
- Screenshot your ride information in the rideshare app for your records.
- Report the car accident to the rideshare company through the app or customer service number.
- When an insurance company contacts you, do not give them a recorded statement.
- Contact a car accident lawyer in Ventura for legal counsel and advocacy before settling.
By taking these steps after an Uber or Lyft accident, you can protect your health, safety and legal interests as much as possible. When in doubt, contact an attorney for legal assistance as soon as possible after a rideshare accident.
Who Is Responsible for Paying for a Ventura Rideshare Accident?
California is a fault state. This means that when a car accident occurs, the person or party most at fault for causing the crash can be held liable, or financially responsible, for the victim’s losses. In many cases, drivers are at fault for car accidents due to broken traffic laws or reckless driving. All motor vehicle drivers are required to carry certain types of automobile insurance to pay for any accidents that they cause.
Rideshare companies are also required to carry insurance to pay for accidents that involve their drivers in California. If a car accident is caused by a careless or reckless rideshare driver, the company must pay. A state law that was passed in 2015 requires rideshare drivers and companies to carry at least $1 million in liability coverage. This law closed insurance gaps to help ensure rideshare passengers are covered for their losses.
How Do Uber and Lyft Insurance Policies Work?
Uber and Lyft’s insurance policies both offer the same amounts of coverage for rideshare accidents. The amounts vary based on the phase or period of the ride. Note that if the rideshare driver was not logged into the app at the time of the collision, the rideshare company will not offer coverage. Instead, the rider’s personal auto insurance policy pays.
The three ride periods are:
- Period 1: the driver is logged into the rideshare app but has not yet accepted a ride.
- Period 2: the driver has accepted a ride request and is on the way to pick up a passenger.
- Period 3: the driver has picked up the passenger and is en route to the destination.
In Period 1, Uber and Lyft both offer up to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury insurance, plus $25,000 in property damage insurance. In Periods 2 and 3, the amount of coverage available increases to $1 million. In addition to insurance offered by the rideshare company, a victim may also have grounds to file a claim with one or more individual policies, depending on the circumstances.
Contact Our Ventura Rideshare Accident Lawyer Today
You do not have to deal with a rideshare accident claim in Ventura alone. Our attorneys can review your case and help you explore your legal options. We understand rideshare accident cases and the laws in California that pertain to them. Your lawyer from Rose, Klein & Marias LLP will guide you through each step of the legal process to allow you to focus on your recovery.
Speak to our rideshare accident attorney in Ventura today for more information. We can put decades of legal experience to use for your benefit. Request a free consultation by sending us a message online or calling us at (800) 362-7427 anytime.