Millions of people worldwide are beginning to embrace the revolution happening in the transportation industry through peer-to-peer services offered by rideshare companies. With rideshare, you can plan your schedule, and you don’t have to keep yourself waiting for the traditional taxi for your mobility. To access these services, download the app of any rideshare company of your choice on your computer or internet-enabled phone to enjoy a convenient and relatively cheap ride.
In the United States, Uber and Lyft are by far the most prominent brands due to the number of drivers using their app for rideshare services. According to a report released in 2017, Lyft reportedly has 1.4 million drivers in the U.S and Toronto, compared to Uber with 750,000 in the U.S and 2.25 million drivers globally. However, despite the benefits of this new system, it also has its setbacks. For instance, in October 2018, the University of Chicago released a report that shows rideshare drivers are responsible for increasing traffic fatalities by 3%.
So, if you ever get involved in a rideshare accident, here is what you should do.
Table of Contents
1. Reach out to the police
The police should be your first point of call if you are involved in an accident whenever you board a cab using a rideshare company service. It is vital to get a police report to document everything about the accident from all parties and witnesses.
2. Seek medical attention as quickly as possible
If you sustain any injury resulting from the accident, you should check into the nearest hospital for treatment. Also, for evidence, ensure all hospital visit records and expenses incurred to treat injury suffered from the accident are kept undamaged.
3. Take pictures of the accident scene.
It would be best if you have picture evidence from the accident scene. Pictures are concrete evidence you can use to sue for compensation from a rideshare and insurance company. Also, having pictures of the accident scene will aid the police and the rideshare company in carrying out a thorough investigation on the cause of the accident.
4. Seek legal assistance
While there is nothing wrong with you pursuing your claim yourself, however, hiring an attorney specializing in rideshare accidents is a better option to ensure the case is handled correctly. Also, as a rideshare accident victim, you will need medical treatment, which will not come cheap or free, especially if you don’t have a health insurance policy for the injury suffered from the accident.
The nature and impact of the accident will determine if you will be out of work for a short or long period. Either way, there will be a loss of income on your side due to your inability to carry out your daily economic activities. So, hiring a rideshare accident lawyer will help you mitigate your losses from the accident and help you recoup some of your losses. Your attorney will also help you in negotiating with the insurance company and claims adjusters.
In addition, you will need the service of an attorney to represent you if the case comes up in court or commission of inquiry.
5. Keep your ride receipt intact.
Part of the evidence that you are a victim of a rideshare accident is your ride receipt. The ride receipt provides information on the driver’s name, the location you are picked from when the trip started, and your headed location. All this information is vital to investigation when pursuing compensation from a rideshare and insurance company.
In addition, to prevent your ride receipt from getting damaged, you should take a picture of the receipt using your smartphone camera, then save the information on your mobile device or save it directly on your cloud storage.
6. Do not post information about the accident online.
It would be best to ignore the urge to post the accident scene on any social media platform. If you do, you will likely compromise the investigation, which may affect your chances of getting compensated for the injury suffered in the accident. Of course, you can take pictures of the accident scene, but posting it on social media is a no-go area.
While there are many benefits from using rideshare services for mobility, at the same time, knowing the risks involved is also essential. Suppose you are involved in a rideshare accident. Your next line of action should be as follows: reach out to the police, take pictures of the accident scene and ensure all documents relating to the accident, such as ride receipt, hospital bills, and expenses incurred for treatment of injury suffered during the accident, are intact.
Furthermore, to ensure you get your well-deserved compensation, you should consider hiring an attorney with vast experience in road traffic and rideshare accidents to pursue your claim.
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