Ride Share Accidents

Ride share companies like Uber and Lyft have quickly become one of the most popular ways to get around major metropolitan areas like Pittsburgh. However, the confusion over whether drivers are employees or independent contractors often leads to difficulty assessing fault when an accident occurs.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a ride share vehicle and suffered injuries as a result, you deserve to be compensated for the harm caused by those responsible for the crash.

Everything You Need to Know About Ride Sharing Accidents

In 2016, the state of Pennsylvania passed the Ride Share Act to help victims of ride sharing accidents get the compensation they deserve. The Ride Share Act also sets safety standards for ride share drivers and vehicles to help protect their passengers. 

Notable vehicle standards include: 

• Car must be for fewer than 10 people
• Vehicle must have at least four doors
• Cannot be a salvaged vehicle
• Car cannot be more than 10 years old

In addition to these requirements, drivers must possess a valid drivers’ license, be at least 21 years old, pass a criminal background check, and not have had more than three moving violations in the last three years.

In regards to insurance standards, the Ride Share Act dictates that ride share drivers must have certain minimum coverage when engaged and not engaged in prearranged rides. When they are not engaged in a prearranged ride, the driver must possess a minimum of $50,000/$100,000 for death and bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, and medical benefits that include $25,000 for pedestrians and $5,000 for drivers. When the driver is engaged in prearranged rides for a ride share service, the law mandates a minimum of $500,000 for death, bodily injury, and property damage in addition to medical benefits of $25,000 for passengers and pedestrians as well as $5,000 for the driver.

Finding Who is at Fault for a Ride Share Accident

Sometimes, another driver is at fault for an accident. Other times, your Uber or Lyft driver is at fault. Accidents can still happen if an Uber or Lyft driver causes a crash while driving in between rides or when they are off the clock. 

If the other driver is at fault for an accident, they must exchange insurance information with your driver. Their insurance should cover the cost of injuries and any property damage sustained in the accident. But if your driver is at fault for an accident, things can get a little more complicated. 

If your driver was in the middle of driving you or another passenger somewhere, the Ride Share Act auto insurance minimums apply. If a ride share driver causes an accident while off the clock, their regular auto insurance will most likely be applied to it. Figuring out compensation when a ride share driver is involved in an accident between cars can get complicated.

Determining Compensation for a Ride Share Accident

Victims in ride share accidents can collect damages for their economic and non-economic damages caused by the crash. In the worst ride share car accidents, where the victim is killed as a result of driver negligence or recklessness, the family of the deceased can also seek damages for wrongful death.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a ride share accident, call or text Robert Disney at 412-999-5765 today to schedule a case consultation and learn more about your legal options.