Accidents involving rideshare vehicles can leave passengers confused about their legal rights and who is responsible for covering their injuries and losses. Thankfully, passengers generally have the right to pursue compensation regardless of which driver caused the collision at issue. Whether a rideshare driver caused an accident, another motorist was responsible or multiple vehicles contributed to the crash in question, injured passengers may still be able to take advantage of legal avenues for compensation.
In many cases, passengers may file claims against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. If the Uber or Lyft driver caused the accident while actively transporting a passenger, the rideshare company’s commercial insurance coverage may also apply. Both Uber and Lyft maintain significant liability policies for drivers who are logged into the app and engaged in rideshare activity. These policies may provide compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other accident-related damages.
Passengers are rarely blamed for contributing to a rideshare crash. Unlike drivers, passengers generally have no control over vehicle operation, traffic decisions or roadway conduct. This often strengthens injury claims because insurance companies typically cannot argue that the injured passenger caused the collision. As a result, passengers may have stronger legal positions when seeking compensation for their injuries and financial losses than they would have had they been driving at the time of a crash.
It can take professional help to untangle the insurance
Rideshare accidents can still become legally complicated, however. Insurance coverage availability may depend on whether the rideshare driver at issue was waiting for a ride request, traveling to pick up a passenger or actively transporting someone at the time of the crash. Multiple insurance companies may become involved, and each may attempt to shift responsibility to another party.
Yet, rideshare passengers should never assume that they are responsible for handling complicated insurance disputes alone after a serious crash. To that end, an experienced personal injury legal team can help injured passengers determine which insurance policies apply, investigate liability issues and pursue the compensation they deserve.
