Nashville Uber & Ride Sharing Accident Attorneys

Today’s technology allows busy professionals, students, parents, and anyone wanting a quick ride to hail a cab through their smartphone. Once ordered, GPS within the app helps the rider see their vehicle in transit toward them, and the cab will have the destination routed and ready to go when they hop in. Ridesharing, the name given to this growing technology, has taken Nashville by storm.

But like all things, no system is perfect. Uber and Lyft, the two most popular ridesharing companies, only vet their drivers for their criminal history and they require no specialized training or extensive experience. Because almost anyone can qualify to drive for these services, drivers could be reckless, careless, distracted, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs while transporting riders. This could lead to catastrophic injury accidents.

Nationally-recognized personal injury firm, The Law Offices of Luvell L. Glanton is here to help if you’ve been hurt in an accident involving an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare services in Nashville. We have the experience and resources you need on your side to get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with us today by calling (615) 244-4511.

Get Help Immediately after an Uber or Lyft Accident

Whether you’re riding in an Uber or Lyft vehicle or were hit by a rideshare driver, you should seek immediate medical attention if you’ve been hurt. Even if you feel perfectly fine, always accept treatment from emergency personnel, as some symptoms of serious injuries may not show up until much later.

It’s not uncommon to experience these injuries in a ridesharing accident:

Concussions;
Broken arms, legs, hands and facial bones;
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
Spinal injuries;
Internal organ damage and bleeding
Contusions on your face, body and head; and
Paralysis.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance passed ridesharing regulations that took effect January 1, 2016, which clamped down on what ridesharing companies can and cannot do. Even with tougher laws for Uber and Lyft drivers to follow, accidents are still possible.

Contact Us If You’ve Been Hurt In A Ride Sharing Accident

Our attorneys are ready to help you if you’ve been hurt in an accident involving an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare service, including:

A Lyft or Uber driver hit another vehicle, injuring the passengers of their car;
Another car hit an Uber or Lyft, injuring the passengers;
A pedestrian gets hit by a ridesharing vehicle;
Two ridesharing cars hit each other, injuring all passengers; and
An Uber or Lyft stopped on the side of the road with passengers, and was sideswiped by another vehicle or truck.

Injuries from these accidents can be incredibly painful and expensive. In Nashville, ridesharing services that operate within city limits have liabilities when their passengers or other drivers are hurt.

Liability for Ridesharing Services in Nashville

Tennessee courts follow a standard tort law when determining fault, how damages are allocated, and whether comparative fault applies to the accident. As such, ridesharing accidents require plaintiffs to prove:

An individual owed a duty of care to another;
That duty was breached;
The breach of duty directly caused injuries; and
Those injuries caused economic and noneconomic damages.

This covers basic personal injury law, and applies to ridesharing accidents whether you’re a passenger in an Uber, a driver of another car, or a pedestrian.

Since rideshare drivers get paid by Lyft and Uber and use their technology to pick up and drop off riders, many people assume that the companies will immediately take responsibility for their drivers in the event of an accident. However, both ridesharing giants have fought back against this notion, insisting that their drivers are independent contractors who are responsible for maintaining a safe vehicle and driving according to state laws.

Despite this insistence, Uber and Lyft both carry insurance policies designed to protect people who are hurt in accidents caused by drivers who have the app turned on and are either heading to pick up a fare or are actively transporting riders.

What are Uber and Lyft Insurance Requirements?

Insurance carried by the rideshare driver individually is superseded by Uber and Lyft’s coverage on two levels:

Period I. The rideshare driver is logged into their app and is in “Drive” mode, but hasn’t picked up passengers. During this period, drivers are given $50,000 per person or $100,000 per accident in bodily injury, and $30,000 in property damage liability. This coverage remains until the driver has agreed to pick someone up, has taken payment, and is en route.
Period II. Once a passenger has agreed to be picked up, and the vehicle is moving, a $1 million liability (per incident) and $1 million underinsured/uninsured motorist policy kicks in.

A rideshare driver who is not online is treated as an individual when it comes to accidents. Uber and Lyft will not get involved in any way.

Involved in an Uber or Lyft Accident? You Have Options.

Depending on where you were when an Uber or Lyft hit you, options to recover damages will differ:

Passengers of Uber and Lyft vehicles who were injured may file their claim with the driver of the other vehicle’s insurer; if a settlement is unreachable, a civil suit may be necessary.
Drivers of vehicles injured by an Uber or Lyft should file their claims against the Uber or Lyft driver’s individual policy.
Pedestrians who were injured by no fault of their own can file their claim against Uber or Lyft’s liability policy.

If you are unsure who to file a claim against, contact a lawyer for assistance.

Am I allowed to sue Uber directly?

There are circumstances where Uber may be indirectly involved with your accident. Our firm first files suit against the appropriate insurer, but if Uber or Lyft fight our claim, we must take our grievance directly to them and file suit against them.

What if an Uber or Lyft driver hit me, but their app wasn’t on?

Any damages caused by the driver outside of their ridesharing app will be the responsibility of the driver’s auto insurer.

How long should I wait to get medical care?

Injured persons are encouraged to seek medical attention immediately as some injuries aren’t immediately noticeable. Furthermore, a delay in treatment can be used as evidence that your injuries were not serious, or were not caused by the accident.

Contact an Experienced Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers

As ridesharing is relatively new, accidents involving cars with drivers who are indirectly employed by Uber, Lyft, or similar through an app can be incredibly complex. Multiple insurers and at-fault parties make these cases challenging to resolve. The Law Offices of Luvell L. Glanton are up to the task of taking your ridesharing accident case all the way to trial if needed.

Need help determining who may be at fault? Not sure if your claim against the ridesharing company has enough evidence to move forward? Contact our firm by phone at (615) 244-4511 to schedule an appointment, and we’ll discuss your ridesharing accident in detail.