I Was in an Uber Accident While Driving for Uber, What Should I Do?

Need Legal Representation From an Uber Accident Lawyer? West Coast Trial Lawyers Is Here to Help

Involved in an accident as an Uber driver? You may have the legal right to file an Uber accident lawsuit against the driver at-fault for damages. Legal representation is an important necessity to incorporate into your lawsuit in order for you to recover compensation for any losses you experienced from the collision. 

At West Coast Trial Lawyers, our legal team has over 100 years of collective legal experience in handling personal injury cases. With our track record of recovering more than $1.5 billion in settlements for our clients, we are confident that we will deliver a good outcome to your Uber accident case. 

To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our top-rated personal injury lawyers, you may reach out to our 24/7 legal team by calling (213) 927-3700. You may also fill out our quick contact form, which can be found at the right side or bottom of the page.

What to Do if You’re Involved in an Accident as an Uber Driver

If you got into an accident while working as an Uber driver, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim to pursue compensation for damages caused by the at-fault driver. Oftentimes, accident victims may have a difficult time focusing on what they need to do after an accident due to adrenaline rush. However, if possible, try to keep your focus on doing the following:

Contact the Police

If you notice any injuries or damages, call the police as soon as possible. They will arrive at the scene of the accident and complete an official police report. Paramedics may also be present to assist those that need immediate medical attention.

Do not forget to request a copy of the official police report. This will be used as evidence for your personal injury claim.

Notify Uber About the Accident

Let Uber know that you were involved in an accident while you were on the job. The company will review your case and issue coverage to help with any injuries or damages you sustained from the accident. Coverage will vary depending on what you were doing when the accident took place. We will go more into more detail about Uber’s insurance policy in the next section.

Gather Evidence

Take pictures or video footage of your injuries, damages, the location of where the accident occurred, weather conditions, and road conditions. You should also make sure to look for any witnesses. Obtaining witness information will greatly help strengthen your personal injury claim. Lastly, document your perspective of the incident in a diary or journal entry. The date and time of when the event took place should be included. 

Get Medical Attention

We encourage accident victims to get their injuries checked by a physician as soon as possible. Even if you are suffering from minor injuries, it should be in your best interest to get it examined to determine whether it may develop into something worse in the future. 

Any doctor visits, prescriptions, or procedures related to the Uber accident will be documented in your medical records. You may request a copy of your medical records to use as proof that you were, in fact, injured from the accident and are seeking medical treatment to make a full recovery. 

Hire an Uber Accident Lawyer

An Uber accident lawyer will dedicate their time and effort into making sure you are given the best possible outcome for your case. While you are taking time to recover from your accident injuries, your lawyer will handle all of the difficult tasks. This includes building up your claim, negotiating with the insurance companies, and representing you in court, if needed.

Each personal injury law firm will have different legal services available. Some may require you to provide compensation based on the amount of hours the Uber accident lawyer has worked on your case, while others may run on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee basis is when a client is not obligated to pay for legal services if their Uber accident lawyer is unable to settle or win their case. 

Uber’s Insurance Policy

Uber offers protection to its drivers when they are involved in an accident. Coverage will vary depending on what the Uber driver was doing when the crash took place. 

Uber Driver Was Offline

If the Uber driver was not online when the accident happened, they will have to have their own personal insurance company cover their damages. 

Uber Driver Was Online and Waiting for a Ride Request

If the Uber driver was online and waiting to receive a ride request, Uber will offer third-party liability if the driver’s personal auto insurance does not apply. Coverage may include the following:

• $50,000 in bodily injury per person
• $100,000 in bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 in property damage per accident

Uber Driver Was Online and Headed to Pick Up or Drop Off a Rider

If the Uber driver was involved in an accident while they were on the way to pick up or drop off a rider, Uber will provide the following coverage: 

• $1,000,000 third-party liability
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and/or first-party insurance
• Contingency comprehensive and collision (up to the actual cash value of a vehicle with a $2,500 deductible)

What About Injury Protection Insurance?

Injury Protection insurance is optional coverage that will help provide you and your family with financial support. Uber will charge you less than $0.03 a mile to receive this form of protection while you are fulfilling ride requests. Benefits in this insurance policy include the following:

• Disability Payments: Earnings replacement up to $500 per week.
• Medical Expenses: Accidental medical expenses up to $1,000,000 (no deductible or copay)
• Survivor Benefits: Up to $150,000 for your family

Uber claims that your premium will be deducted automatically from each trip you take. These deductions will be visible on your earnings reports. If you are no longer interested in using this coverage plan, you may cancel your enrollment at any given time.