Rideshare Accident Claims in California
Various scenarios can occur involving rideshare accidents that will affect who can be held liable for damages when negligence has caused injuries, such as:
- You as a rideshare customer were injured while traveling to or from your destination due to your driver’s negligence
- You as a rideshare customer were injured due to the negligence of another driver
- You as a rideshare driver were injured while picking up, dropping off, or driving a customer
- You were injured by a rideshare driver while traveling in another vehicle
Rideshare accidents can occur in all of the various ways that other auto accidents do. These can be due to speeding, texting while driving, violating other traffic laws, drowsiness, simple inattention, and more. However, the circumstances of the accident will determine liability and thus what insurance company may be held liable.
Those who may be liable in any rideshare accident can include;
- The rideshare driver and thus his or her insurer
- The rideshare company’s one-million-dollar commercial policy
- The driver of the other vehicle who caused the accident and thus his/her insurer
- The rideshare company’s uninsured/underinsured policy if an uninsured/underinsured driver caused the accident
Understanding Rideshare Liability
If you were injured by a rideshare driver, liability will depend on whether the driver turned on the app and was “on the clock” as a rideshare driver. Various insurance scenarios will apply depending on whether he/she was waiting for a customer, carrying a customer, or driving in between customers on his or her own time with the app turned off. Generally, you will have the biggest level of insurance coverage while en route to or from your destination as a rideshare customer.
If another driver caused the accident while you were a rideshare customer, that driver’s insurer will generally be liable for your damages and losses. In all cases, those who can be held liable for your damages will be the party who was responsible for the accident.
Contact A. Davies Personal Injury Law to book your free consultation appointment at (408) 577-3441 or via our website’s free case evaluation submissions form.