While rideshare services have significantly helped us get around, making travel more straightforward and accessible, especially around congested and heavy tourist areas like Las Vegas, these services are not without risks.
In fact, a Chicago Booth study has found that ride-hailing services have increased motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents by about three percent. That is why if you sustained harm in a Las Vegas rideshare accident, you need a rideshare accident lawyer who understands your legal options and the remedies you can pursue.
In the below blog post, we hope to answer some of these questions while also discussing how an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney can help you following these devastating crashes.
What Exactly Is a Rideshare Service in Las Vegas?
Ridesharing is a service that provides one-way transportation quickly. The two biggest ridesharing companies in the United States are Lyft and Uber. However, Las Vegas has countless other rideshare companies, including Blacklane and Carmel.
With most rideshare services, you only need to download the company’s app and provide your personal information and payment details to participate in the service. After driving you to your destination, the app charges your credit card automatically. There is no cash exchange with the rideshare driver, and the driver will not handle any credit card information.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Help After You Suffer Injuries Following a Las Vegas Rideshare Accident
Rideshare accidents can result in catastrophic injuries that forever change a person’s life.
Yet, while the extent of these injuries depends on the circumstances of the accident, these crashes typically result in the following types of trauma:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck and back trauma
- Fractures
- Amputations
- Spinal cord trauma and permanent paralysis
- Significant abrasions and cuts
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Internal injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Soft tissue injuries
- Death
Regardless of what type of injury you suffered following a Las Vegas rideshare accident, a skilled Las Vegas rideshare accident lawyer can assist you with your legal claim and help you fight for the compensation you need to cover medical costs, now and into the future.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Help You Figure Out the Rideshare’s Insurance Requirements
Even though rideshare drivers must carry automobile insurance through their insurance policy, their personal insurance will often not cover liability for crashes that occur while the drivers are working. As a result, many rideshare companies provide insurance on the driver’s behalf. However, this coverage usually depends on certain circumstances, including when the crash occurred.
Take, for instance, the following coverage scenarios:
- Period 0: When a rideshare driver has not opened the rideshare app and is not engaged in any ridesharing activity, their personal insurance coverage will apply if they are involved in an accident.
- Period 1: When a rideshare driver is waiting for a request, rideshare companies such as Uber will provide primary liability insurance, including $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident.
- Periods 2 and 3: When a rideshare driver is en route to pick up riders or is taking them to their destination, Uber will cover up to $1,000,000 in third-party liability during this period.
While rideshare companies may have this coverage available, it does not mean obtaining compensation following an accident will be easy. In reality, pursuing a claim against these rideshare services can be combative since their insurers may try to reduce the amount you get paid.
Fortunately, when you hire an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney to handle this complex legal claim, you don’t need to take on these insurance companies alone. Instead, a legal professional can handle all the negotiations with the insurers and pursue the compensation you need.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Figure Out Who Was Responsible for Your Las Vegas Rideshare Accident
Figuring out who you can hold responsible for a Las Vegas rideshare accident can present challenges, as many parties can contribute, including:
- The rideshare driver
- The rideshare company
- Third parties (motorcyclists, pedestrians, and other motor vehicle drivers)
In addition, because rideshare companies do not hire their drivers as employees but as independent contractors, this classification generally protects them from vicarious liability for motor vehicle accidents. The absence of vicarious liability makes it more difficult for victims of a rideshare accident to hold the rideshare company accountable for a car crash or their resulting injuries.
To pursue financial compensation following a rideshare accident, the injured parties must first determine who was responsible. If the rideshare driver was liable for the crash, their personal insurance or the rideshare company’s insurance company will compensate you for your losses. Determining liability after a Las Vegas rideshare accident is challenging, and the parties are often unwilling to claim responsibility for what happened.
Discuss your legal options with an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney after a Las Vegas rideshare accident. These lawyers can help you figure out not only who was responsible for your accident but assist you in holding the wrongful parties and their respective insurance companies accountable for the harm sustained.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can File Your Case Before Time Runs Out
According to the statute of limitations, accident victims must meet strict filing deadlines to file a legal claim for accident injury lawsuits. If they do not file by this deadline, they lose recourse to pursue the money they need.
In Nevada, rideshare accident victims have two years from the accident to file a suit. However, this law carves out exceptions. If you do not want to miss your opportunity to file your case, discuss your accident with a skilled Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney as soon as possible. A legal professional can figure out the time you have to file your case and can complete and file the appropriate paperwork on time.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Help You Gather Evidence After the Accident
While gathering documents and talking to witnesses is critical for a legal claim, gathering this evidence is not always possible following a rideshare accident. When you retain a knowledgeable Las Vegas rideshare accident lawyer, you will not have to worry about dealing with this investigation alone.
Instead, your attorneys can promptly investigate and look for evidence to help your case, including photos and videos of the accident scene, the vehicles involved, their positions, the weather and road conditions, damage to property, and nearby traffic signs.
These attorneys can also attempt to locate people who saw the incident. Witnesses can usually provide lawyers with helpful details regarding what happened and offer testimony to help substantiate your legal claim.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Handle Conversations With the Other Parties Involved and the Insurance Company
Following a rideshare accident, watch what you say to others involved, because the insurance companies will use your comments and statements against you. Consequently, after a crash, avoid making any definitive statements about the accident, apologizing for anything that happened, or taking any blame for the collision.
Additionally, if the insurance companies ask for a statement or want to talk to you about the details of the crash, consider first discussing the incident with an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney. Your lawyers can explain the insurance company’s tactics and what to watch out for.
More importantly, your lawyers can handle the discussions for you and help ensure you do not say something that can hurt your case or impact your chances of getting the maximum compensation you deserve.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Help Negotiate for a Fair Settlement Offer
Insurance companies’ primary goal is not to support you after an accident or ensure you get the compensation you need. The less these companies pay you, the more money they make. That is why insurance companies often use one tactic in particular to hurt your case: make you a settlement offer shortly after your accident when you are most vulnerable. Because of your weakened state, they hope you will not question the offer on the table.
However, this offer is usually too meager to cover your medical costs, let alone any future expenses. More importantly, if you agree to this offer, you cannot return to the insurance company and ask for more money later on.
For these reasons, before you accept anything from the insurer, discuss the situation with a Las Vegas rideshare accident lawyer. These attorneys can review any settlement offers you receive and determine if they are fair to you. If these offers do not provide you with the compensation you need, your lawyers can return to the negotiation table and fight for the damages you deserve.
A Rideshare Accident Attorney Can Help Negotiate for a Fair Settlement Offer
Depending on the facts of your rideshare accident and how settlement negotiations go, you may file a lawsuit and pursue certain damages.
These damages break into two categories: economic and non-economic damages, which include payment for losses related to:
- Medical bills resulting from doctor visits, surgeries, medications, ambulance rides, emergency care, and other treatments
- Ongoing medical expenses
- Lost income, lost business opportunities, and lost earning capacity
- Personal property losses, such as expenses resulting from car replacement or repair services
- At-home modification expenses or domestic replacement services
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
- Humiliation and inconvenience
- Scarring and disfigurement
Because these damages include easy-to-quantify and hard-to-prove losses, obtaining all these damages can be challenging. For these reasons, after a rideshare accident, contact a skilled Las Vegas rideshare accident lawyer immediately. These attorneys can review the extent of your losses, determine which damages may apply to your case, and help you pursue the monetary relief you deserve.
Contact an Experienced Las Vegas Rideshare Accident Attorney Today for a Free Case Consultation
Ed Bernstein, Rideshare Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a Las Vegas rideshare accident, you likely have countless questions about the situation and your legal options. Fortunately, when you hire an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident lawyer, you will not have to stress about handling this challenging ordeal alone.
Instead, your attorneys can:
- Provide detailed answers to your questions and offer legal support.
- Review the facts of your accident and figure out which legal actions you can take next
- Investigate the incident and try to obtain evidence to demonstrate fault and the total losses you endured.
- Hire experts who can help validate your claim, including economists, doctors, and accident reconstruction specialists.
- Take on negotiations with the insurers or the other parties involved and pursue the just settlement offer you need.
- Take your case to trial and fight for maximum compensation.
Do not wait to get legal help following a Las Vegas rideshare accident. Instead, contact an experienced Las Vegas rideshare accident attorney today to schedule your free case evaluation and find out how an personal injury attorney can fight for your rights and secure the compensation you deserve.