Ridesharing services are undoubtedly a convenient way to travel, but matters can become complicated if you suffer injuries due to a rideshare driver’s negligence.
Since rideshare drivers are independent contractors — and not professionally licensed — they usually do not carry the expensive commercial driver’s insurance that taxi drivers are required to carry. If you happen to get into an accident while riding in an Uber car, insurance claims might become a bit tricky.
Ridesharing stats
Ridesharing is growing in popularity. About 15 percent of all American adults use these services, and many use them regularly. Approximately 17 percent of people who use ridesharing services use the app every day. With increased usage of the service come increased rates of ridesharing accidents. In fact, for-hire car crashes have more than tripled. It makes sense why questions about insuring drivers are on the rise.
What types of insurance do Uber and Lyft drivers typically carry?
Most rideshare drivers are informal independent contractors. This means that your driver likely has his own personal car insurance. Most ridesharing apps offer liability insurance from the company. But if you get into an accident, it may be hard to make a claim. Personal auto insurance will not cover claims that happened while the driver was using the car to make money. If you are in an accident in a rideshare, you will generally depend on the insurance provided by Uber and hope there are no gaps in the coverage.
What should I do if I get into an accident?
If you get into an accident in a rideshare car, try to stay calm. Many of the general rules for any auto accident will apply. Try to move out of the lanes of traffic. You can gather information about the driver, the rideshare company and the insurer.
Also, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer before giving any kind of statement to an insurance adjuster. The questions asked by adjusters are designed to minimize the amount of compensation you receive for your injury.
For more on these matters, please see Easton & Easton’s overview of motor vehicle accidents in Southern California.
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