More than 13,000 drivers offer Uber rides in more than 700 cities around the world. This peer-to-peer transportation company has transformed Uber from a $19.5 million company in 2007 to have more than $5.3 billion in revenue in 2020 and offers more than two million rides each day globally.
Without further doubt, the public has embraced this unique form of transportation. While Uber claims to vet its drivers based on competent grounds, the potential exists for careless drivers with sub-standard cars to enter this huge pool of drivers. But what are you supposed to do if you find yourself in an Uber car crash? Well, let’s look at some of the ways you should handle the situation and how to go about it.
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Seek Medical Care First
Along with making sure you get the right medical care, you should report the accident and injury to any medical personnel so that you receive medical attention right away. Medical care you receive is vital to your case and should be well documented. This will help you if you need to file a compensation claim. You should seek the services of a rideshare accident lawyer who will help you receive your compensation. You might also want to ensure that you retain copies of medical bills, lab bills, bills from your insurance provider, receipts from prescription, doctors’ visits, or any receipts from diagnostic imaging or testing. Depending on your injury/injuries’ nature, you should also think about any future care and medication procedures.
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Asses to See Whether in the Car is Safe and Sound
Even though you are not the driver, it is good to assess yourself and the people around you at the accident scene. If the Uber car was damaged severely, there might be varying degrees of injuries among people involved. Make sure you check yourself from head to toe. Also, don’t forget to check your head to see if you are bleeding there. Then administer first aid to others if you are in a position to do so.
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Keen Documentation of the Accident
Medical expenses are relevant to your case, and so is the evidence from the accident. After the crash occurs, write down phone numbers, names, and any contact information for parties involved in the accident as well as witnesses of the accident. It’s essential to take note of the license plates of those involved in the accident as well. You might have the Uber driver’s contact on your phone, but you should make sure you have their information as well; taking a screenshot of the Uber ride (and your Uber ride receipt) will include necessary details for your case. Further to gathering additional information from relevant parties, ensure to:
- Take photos of the accident scene
- Take photos of the vehicle
- Take pictures of any injuries you may have sustained
Recording such information will help when you’re building your case and making a report to the police.
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Ensure You Report the Accident to Uber and Police
Police reports might not be admissible as evidence in a civil lawsuit, but they can be incredibly important as you pursue justice. When you’re in an accident, call the police immediately. Ask to have an officer sent to the scene of the accident. When they arrive, they’ll document the accident and record critical details about the accident. Minor information like traffic and weather conditions, witness names are quickly forgotten. When you decide to file a lawsuit, your lawyer can rely on the report to conduct their investigation. Also, ensure that you inform Uber as you may qualify to receive money from Uber’s $1 million insurance policy. With no formal record of your accident, the insurance provider may come chasing after you.
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Never Accept Offers/Bribes or Negotiations Before Speaking with an Attorney
Uber accidents can be complicated because there might be several parties involved. There’s the Uber driver (which now means Uber as a company), other careless third parties, and insurance companies. They’ll all try to point the finger at one another without coming to any conclusive decision. If the Uber driver is at fault, liability will ultimately depend on how (and if) they were using the Uber app at the time of the accident. This means that negotiating a settlement can be quite more tricky than perceived. It’s advisable if you let an experienced attorney handle all discussions with other parties and insurance companies. This will help to protect you and prevent insurance companies from driving down the value of your compensation that you are entitled to receive.
After Uber is made aware of the accident, they will have one of their representatives contact you to get any additional information. It’s important to remember that there is a distinctive situation surrounding the case with any personal injury case, so ensure that you hire a qualified attorney to handle your case.
