If you’re injured in an accident with an Uber driver, seek immediate medical attention, call the police, and report the crash to law enforcement. Make sure you exchange information with everyone else involved in the collision as well.
To protect yourself, it’s also important to call a Charlotte Uber accident lawyer who has experience handling cases involving Uber-related collisions. Your lawyer will be able to advise you of your rights, advocate for compensation, and fight for justice on your behalf.
Step One: Take Care of Your Body Before Worrying About the App
After an Uber accident, your health should be your top priority.
These are injuries that victims commonly report after getting into a crash with Uber drivers:
- Neck and back trauma
- Concussions and head injuries
- Shoulder and knee injuries from bracing for impact
- Fractures
- Soft tissue injuries that worsen after the adrenaline wears off
- Internal injuries and bruising from seatbelts
Many people feel okay at first, only to develop headaches, nausea, stiffness, or limited movement hours later. What starts as a normal evening can turn into a late-night ER visit.
When you receive early medical care, you’ll create a paper trail of documentation that shows the injuries you sustained and the treatment you received in response. This is very helpful, especially in cases where insurers tend to minimize claims.
The Uber App Is Evidence, So Preserve It Early
Uber crashes create digital proof that standard car accidents don’t, thanks to the app that drivers use while completing rides. This information can help investigators answer the question, “What was the driver doing at the moment of impact?”
If possible, as the victim of the incident, try to make it a point to save this information:
- Screenshots showing the trip was active
- The receipt for the trip
- The driver’s name and vehicle details as shown in the app
- Pickup and drop-off location details
- The exact time of the trip
- Any messages exchanged in the app
- Any post-crash report you submitted through Uber
People often assume this data will always be available, but this assumption can backfire. The more proof you can capture and keep safe on your device, the more difficult the information will be to dispute later.
If you were hit by an Uber driver but you weren’t a passenger at the time of the collision, try to document the driver’s app status. Even though drivers sometimes refuse to cooperate, you can refer to police reports and body cam footage.
They might have captured the driver admitting whether or not they were working at the time of the incident.
Understanding the Three Insurance Modes Involved in Uber Cases
Uber accidents are not all covered the same way, and this information is important for attorneys when it’s time to determine liability. In short, coverage depends on the driver’s app status at the time of the crash.
Mode 1: App Off
The driver’s personal auto insurance always applies.
Mode 2: App On, Waiting for a Ride
Limited Uber coverage may apply. This is when delays on the part of insurance providers are more likely to take place.
Ride Accepted or Passenger in the Car
Higher commercial coverage might apply, though insurers will often fight harder because the policy limits are larger. This is why app evidence is so important. It helps prove which coverage should apply before insurers have a chance to start shifting blame.
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Why It’s Important to Capture Photos and Video, if Possible
Rideshare crashes move fast. Cars are towed, passengers leave, drivers leave the scene, and remnants of the crash are cleaned up. If you can, these are examples of evidence that you should try to capture while at the scene of the collision:
- Wide shots showing lane placement and intersection layout
- Close-ups of damage on all vehicles
- License plates
- Airbags, seatbelts, and headrests
- Skid marks and debris
- Visible injuries
- The Uber driver’s vehicle identification details
- Screenshots of the Uber trip information
- Any nearby surveillance cameras that may have captured the crash
The more photos and videos you take, the more information you’ll be able to provide your attorney. They can then use these details to piece together an understanding of what happened and help you pursue compensation as the victim of the accident.
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Be Careful With Recorded Statements
After an Uber crash, you might hear from all types of people and parties:
- The Uber driver’s personal insurer
- Uber’s insurance partner or third-party administrator
- Another driver’s insurer
- Your own insurer
Adjusters might sound friendly and act casual, but it’s important to remember that they are not making decisions with your interests in mind. At the end of the day, their primary goal is to reduce what they could potentially owe you.
As a result, it’s important to refrain from making any statements—recorded or not—without your attorney present. Otherwise, your words could be used against you and twisted in ways that misrepresent what you were trying to say.
Contact Us for Advice on What to Do if You’re Injured in an Accident With an Uber Driver
Many victims of rideshare collisions feel overwhelmed by the mere thought of sorting out whether Uber’s insurance applies and determining which coverage is available. But what if we told you that you don’t have to figure this all out by yourself?
Instead, let CR Legal Team advocate for your rights. It’s normal to worry about saying the wrong thing or missing an important step that could affect your ability to recover compensation, but we can help you prepare. We Care Like Family, Listen To Learn, and Do What’s Right.
We believe in Whole-Person Legal Care™, meaning we don’t just look at the legal side of your Uber accident—we focus on you. Our family-run law firm will Stand Up For You®.
With over 100 years of combined legal experience, we’ve helped more than 200,000 people, and we’re here for you.
