Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers Obtain a $841,500 Settlement in Rideshare Accident Case Against an Intoxicated Driver
A promising young photography student of the San Francisco Art Institute was a rideshare passenger in San Francisco on her way home from an evening out with a couple of friends. Suddenly, an intoxicated driver blew through a red light at the intersection of Larkin and Post Streets and plowed into the rideshare vehicle at 50 mph.
The force of the impact was so strong that it spun the rideshare vehicle out of control and across the intersection, slamming it into a fire hydrant on the opposite side. On impact, the rideshare vehicle sheared the fire hydrant completely from its base and launched it 30 feet away.
The student was trapped inside the vehicle awaiting emergency treatment as a 100-foot geyser erupted from the hydrant, spraying cold water all over the cars and street. It was a terrifying situation and the student was lucky to be alive. Both the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Fire Department arrived at the scene of the accident to assist.
Going Through a Rideshare Accident Claim Is Complicated
What would you do if you were in an accident like the one described above? What if you were hit by an intoxicated driver, an uninsured or underinsured driver, or even a self-driving Uber?
In the case of the injured art student, she spent days in the hospital receiving treatment for major injuries including multiple broken bones. She missed classes and fell behind in school, all while feeling mentally exhausted and lonely since she was far away from home.
Then, on top of everything else, she had medical bills piling up and discovered the other driver was underinsured and intoxicated at the time of the accident. She needed a San Francisco rideshare accident lawyer who could help her focus on her recovery and get through the accident claims process as quickly as possible.
In a situation like this, the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers can:
- Handle a claim against an uninsured or underinsured driver
- Work with the authorities to access documentation about an intoxicated driver
- Negotiate a settlement or litigate in court if necessary
- Minimize your stress during a difficult time
- Maximize the monetary value of your settlement
- Allow you to focus on recovering from your injuries
Sally Morin Goes the Extra Mile to Get You a SOLID and Fair Settlement
For the injured student, the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers opened a claim with the vehicle owner’s insurance and determined the policy limits coverage information. Although the liability limit on the policy was $25,000 – just a fraction of the student’s medical bills – her family had wisely equipped themselves with underinsured and uninsured (UIM/UM) auto insurance coverage.
This meant we could pursue the UIM/UM coverage, which was applicable even though she was not driving at the time of her accident. Our legal team put together a comprehensive policy limits demand, plus we submitted a separate demand for the UIM insurance proceeds.
Ultimately, we recovered the maximum policy limits under the third-party’s insurance ($25,000), the maximum policy limits of the UIM insurance (an additional $475,000), and also a portion of an excess insurance policy that was discovered through our legal team’s diligent investigation.
The total settlement was a massive $841,500!
Needless to say, the student was very pleased with the result and recovered plenty of money, even after paying all her medical bills, legal fees, and costs. Instead of worrying about the accident, now she could look forward to a bright future.
Getting Uber or Lyft Insurance to Pay for Your Accident
If a rideshare driver hits you, prepare for a battle to get compensation for your costs. Uber and Lyft have long histories of fighting accident claims, as do their insurance companies – meaning the insurance is there, but good luck getting them to pay.
Uber and Lyft require their drivers to have auto insurance and it’s usually arranged through one of the rideshare companies’ partner policies from Allstate, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and many others. However, these policies don’t guarantee coverage for rideshare passengers and the insurance companies often try to avoid Uber and Lyft passenger injury claims.
However, California law is always evolving, and lawmakers are scrambling to update the law. Learn the latest here.
Of course, rideshare drivers are only on the clock at certain times, and the timing matters. Before the passage of AB 5, when an Uber driver’s app was off, coverage defaulted to their personal car insurance. When the app was on and they were waiting to accept a request, Uber liability coverage was triggered. While a passenger was on board, Uber provided a higher level of coverage.
A previously-established law, AB 2293, required Uber to cover drivers when the app was active, not just when a driver had accepted or was actively carrying a passenger. It also required rideshare companies to hold liability policies of $1 million in the event of an accident with injuries.
Confused? You’re not alone. Here in California, we’re in somewhat uncharted waters with these new rideshare laws. But rest assured that the team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is staying on top of everything that’s happening and our up-to-the-minute knowledge benefits clients like you.
Here’s the most important thing to remember: You don’t have to rely on Uber’s or Lyft’s representatives to resolve your rideshare accident case. You can seek the help of an experienced San Francisco rideshare accident lawyer to stand up to the rideshare company and demand what you deserve.
Experience a serious Rideshare accident in San Francisco?
Check out our San Francisco Uber Accident Page to learn more about how the process works.
We Handle Your Personal Injury Claim So You Can Focus on Your Life
After an injury, contact the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of the law, including rideshare accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering while we handle the legal details.
We truly care about the people of California. Contact us today for a free online case evaluation.
