$315,000 California Rideshare Accident Settlement
Rideshares offer the public a convenient alternative to driving, but these vehicles are not immune to collisions. California rideshare accidents can leave passengers with devastating and permanently debilitating injuries.
If you don’t file a claim after your rideshare accident, you may have to pay out of pocket for your medical bills.
Recently, we helped a client who was a passenger in a serious rideshare accident. A driver ran a red light and T-boned his rideshare vehicle, leading to several significant injuries that required expensive medical treatments. Fortunately, we got him the money he deserved for his rideshare accident.
Here’s what you need to know about California rideshare accidents and filing a claim.
Who Is Liable After a Rideshare Accident?
When filing a personal injury claim, you must prove that the person you’re filing against is liable for your injuries. You need to provide sufficient evidence that they caused the accident, directly resulting in your injuries. If you can prove that a party is liable for your injuries, you can recover money from their insurance company to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
The party responsible for your injuries will depend on who caused the accident. If your rideshare driver caused the accident, you can recover compensation from the rideshare company. If the accident resulted from another driver’s negligence, you seek compensation from their insurance company rather than the rideshare company’s insurance.
It’s important to note that multiple parties could be at fault for your rideshare accident. Road authorities frequently attribute wrecks to more than one driver, and partially at-fault parties receive a percentage of the blame.
If you’re involved in an accident where multiple drivers are at fault, you may need to file more than one claim. Each responsible party will have its own insurance, so you’ll likely need to deal with multiple insurance companies.
This situation occurred in our recent ridesharing case. Our client filed multiple claims for the accident because there was more than one insurance company involved in the case.
Although you’re not required to hire a lawyer to file a personal injury claim, receiving legal assistance will increase your likelihood of recovering damages.
What Should I Do After a Rideshare Accident?
If you’re involved in a rideshare accident or another type of traffic collision, you need to take immediate action to protect yourself and increase your likelihood of recovering damages. Take the following action after a wreck:
- Receive medical assistance: Safety needs to be your number one priority after a wreck. After the accident, call 911 if anyone suffered from injuries. If no one appears hurt, call the police.
- Take pictures and videos: Video and photographic evidence can be crucial for proving your claim. If you’re physically able, take pictures and videos of the wreck’s aftermath. Additionally, you can track down other footage that may prove your case, such as from business surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, doorbell cameras, and more.
- Eyewitnesses: Eyewitness testimony is incredibly important for proving your claim. After your accident, ask witnesses if they saw what occurred. Record their names and contact information.
- Seek further medical care: You need to continue receiving medical care after your accident. Even if you didn’t experience any notable injuries, you should still receive a check-up after a wreck just in case you have delayed onset injuries.
- Keep track of your expenses: Make sure to keep track of your medical bills and other expenses related to your injuries.
- Get a copy of the police report: The police’s accident report might list the parties who are to blame for the accident. The report may also include other relevant information for proving your claim.
- Avoid posting on social media: Don’t post about your wreck on social media. Anything you say publicly online can be used against you by the other party’s legal team.
- Don’t communicate with the other party directly: Avoid direct communication with the other party. Have your lawyer communicate with them.
- Hire a personal injury attorney: Hiring a rideshare accident lawyer can help you prove your claim because rideshare accidents are different than other car accidents. Your rideshare lawyer will gather essential evidence and present your case effectively.
Why You Need a Lawyer to Handle Your Claim
Navigating life after a car accident is challenging. You’re likely dealing with uncomfortable and debilitating injuries that keep you from being fully functional. And the last thing you want to worry about while recovering is dealing with insurance companies.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you’ll have a legal expert who can carry the weight of your case so that you don’t need to worry about it. Instead, you can focus on healing.
Our recent rideshare personal injury case left our client with serious and expensive injuries, including a traumatic inguinal hernia, groin injury, diffuse axonal injury with post-concussion syndrome, lower back pain, muscle spasms, strained rotator cuff, post-traumatic migraines, and cellulitis resulting wounds.
With all of these different injuries, our clients felt overwhelmed with the legal process, and they worried that they wouldn’t be able to recover damages for their injuries.
Fortunately, Sally Morin handled everything with the case, and we got our client the money he deserved to pay off his medical bills.
The case involved multiple claimants and insurance companies, but despite the claim’s complexities, Sally Morin handled the entirety of the case while it was pending for 3.5 years. Ultimately, we helped our client by negotiating his liens down and increasing his settlement amount.
If you need assistance in personal injury cases in San Francisco, call Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers at 877-380-8852, or get a free case evaluation here.
