Injured in a Lyft Crash or Uber Accident in Georgia? Call Our Ridesharing Car Accident Lawyer in Atlanta for Help
Ridesharing services have increased over the recent years and have become more and more instrumental in getting people to and from work, gatherings, restaurants or bars, and other events. Despite affording people an option to avoid drinking and driving or other dangerous behavior, ridesharing does have some drawbacks. Indeed, some studies have indicated that ridesharing services have actually resulted in a 2%-3% national increase in traffic fatalities. According to the Uber safety report and Lyft safety report, although generally being safe, there are still “critical” and fatal traffic accidents involving ridesharing vehicles each year in the United States. Thus, individuals can still be injured or wrongfully killed in a ridesharing accident. If you or a loved one are seriously injured in any type of crash, contact our experienced ridesharing accident lawyer in Atlanta for help.
Here at Prieto & Spoo Law, we know that ridesharing accidents can be dangerous and result in serious or fatal personal injuries to passengers and others on or around the road. We also know that ridesharing accidents are not like other types of motor vehicle crashes either. Oftentimes ridesharing accidents come with complex liability and insurance issues, which are usually in addition to the normal issues that are caused by car accidents. This means that victims and their families need to hire an experienced ridesharing car accident lawyer in Atlanta to ensure that their rights to compensation are well-protected. Call one of our compassionate and experienced lawyers today to schedule a FREE consultation to learn how Prieto & Spoo Law can do that for you.
[h3] Why Ridesharing Accidents are Different
There are several unique issues that are involved in ridesharing accidents that are not present in other types of motor vehicle accidents. These issues can be very confusing and tricky, even for lawyers who handle car accidents. Thus, you need to specifically look for and find a ridesharing accident lawyer.
Some of these issues include the following:
[h4] Who is Liable?
After a ridesharing accident, some ridesharing companies would claim that the driver is not an employee of the company. Rather, they will argue that the driver is an independent contractor or freelancer. Generally, under Georgia law, a business is liable for the negligence of an employee which is caused within the scope of business. This is a type of vicarious liability known as respondeat superior.
However, Georgia law also provides that a business is typically not responsible for the negligence of an independent contractor. Thus, ridesharing companies have tried to limit their liability by labeling all drivers this way in order to avoid having to pay compensation to victims. Indeed, many insurance carriers will even claim this and disclaim coverage right away. This is often the wrong result and, without an experienced ridesharing car accident lawyer in Atlanta, some victims may lose out on compensation that they are entitled to.
[h4] Proving You Were in a Ride
Another common defense that is often used is that the driver was not engaged in a ride and there is no liability for the ridesharing company. This comes up in two situations:
[h5] Situation 1: Engaged in a Ride Trip
The first and most obvious situation is when a victim is in a car as a rider through the app when a car crash occurs. The ridesharing company will often try to argue that the ride had not yet started or that the ride was over when the accident occurred.
However, this can be rebuffed by taking a screenshot of your app as soon as an accident occurs. This screenshot should be of the screen demonstrating that you were still en route and in the middle of a ride. It is also helpful, if possible, to also take photos of the surrounding street, intersection, or roadway area where your accident occurred – including a street sign. These photographs can help show that you were indeed still in a ride and therefore the ridesharing company is still liable.
[h5] Situation 2: Waiting for a Rider
Sometimes ridesharing accidents occur when a driver is not engaged in a trip but is cruising around waiting for an assignment. Drivers will often try to coast around popular areas where riders may request a ride, such as near city centers, bars, restaurants, clubs, or venues that have an event. During this time, a driver who is looking for riders and trying to manipulate the app, may cause a motor vehicle accident. When this happens, the ridesharing company will try to indicate that they are not responsible for a driver who is not engaged in a ride at the time of the accident.
However, but for the driver’s use of the app and looking for a ride – often even being distracted by using the app – the car accident would not have occurred. In situations like this, it is reasonable to argue that the ridesharing company is still responsible for the personal injuries of a victim. Oftentimes this results in vehement objection and opposition by the insurance adjuster or defense lawyer, but that can be rebutted and fought back with the help of an experienced ridesharing car accident lawyer in Atlanta like ours.
[h2] Hurt in an Uber Accident or Lyft Accident? Call Our Experienced Ridesharing Car Accident Lawyer in Atlanta for Help Today
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, especially a ridesharing car accident, anywhere in Georgia, call Prieto & Spoo Law. Our experienced and compassionate legal team can help you and your family recover the compensation that you deserve in any type of serious or catastrophic motor vehicle wreck. We offer FREE case evaluations and pay the upfront costs and disbursements of litigation for you, which are only reimbursed to us after we recover compensation for you in a settlement, verdict, or another type of recovery. The same is true of our lawyer’s fees, which are only paid from a percentage of the total recovery.
To learn more about how our experienced ridesharing accident lawyers in Atlanta can help you, please contact us today by dialing 678-961-0253 or by contacting us through our website available here.