For people traveling in a major metropolitan area, such as New York City, rideshare services are convenient and cost-effective. Using on-demand transportation occasionally when necessary might cost far less than purchasing, insuring and storing a personal motor vehicle.
Rideshare services can help people navigate neighborhoods with which they are unfamiliar and reach their destination safely when they are under the influence or unwell. Uber and Lyft both have massive fleets of independent contractors providing on-demand transportation to people in need of rides.
Most people enjoy the convenience of using an app to hail a ride. Unfortunately, some of those rideshare trips result in collisions. How do rideshare passengers recover their losses after a collision in a rideshare vehicle?
Timing and fault determine compensation options
As is true in any other collision scenario, responsibility for the aftermath of a rideshare crash largely depends on fault. If the other vehicle was at fault for the collision, the driver of that vehicle may provide insurance coverage and financial compensation to the injured rideshare passenger.
However, if the rideshare driver was at fault for the collision, the situation becomes much more complex. Rideshare drivers can cause crashes by becoming too aggressive on the road. Parking in inappropriate locations for the sake of expediency can also lead to preventable collisions.
The timing of the crash has a direct influence on the types of compensation available to the injured passenger. Rideshare crashes can produce massive expenses in the form of medical costs and lost income. Passengers should not have to absorb those losses.
If the crash occurs before the driver begins the trip or after they have ended it inside the app, then their private rideshare insurance carried as a supplement to their traditional insurance coverage could compensate the passenger for their losses.
Typically, rideshare companies provide robust commercial insurance for crashes caused by their drivers during active trips. Both Uber and Lyft have sizable policies meant to cover injury-related expenses and property damage losses caused by illegal or unsafe behavior on the part of their drivers.
Reviewing the circumstances surrounding a recent rideshare crash with a skilled legal team can help passengers determine what sources of compensation may be available. With the right support, injured rideshare passengers can recoup their losses and hold the appropriate party accountable.