You won’t find an easier way to get around beautiful Myrtle Beach than Uber, but Uber accidents happen, and the associated claims add an additional layer of complication – to a matter that’s already complicated enough. If an Uber driver’s negligence leaves you or someone you care about injured, reach out for the skilled legal representation of an experienced Myrtle Beach Uber accident attorney today.
Uber Drivers
When you think of Uber drivers, you might reasonably think that they are professional drivers – the way that taxi drivers are – but they aren’t in the traditional sense. While they are paid to transport us from place to place, they aren’t required to carry a commercial driver’s license or to have any specific kind of driving experience. Uber does, however, require its drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance.
Uber drivers also face all the following challenges behind the wheel:
- Their work is app-based, which requires a significant amount of interaction with the app and can be its own brand of distraction.
- They often find themselves driving in areas they aren’t familiar with, they are required to enter and exit traffic frequently, and they start and stop often.
- They have to locate passengers who are unknown to them while finding safe spots to pick them up – and eventually drop them off.
Uber Driver Negligence
To make things that much more difficult, Uber drivers – just like other drivers – sometimes engage in unsafe driving practices or driver negligence, which increases the risk that accidents will happen. Such negligence can include all the following:
- Failure to follow the traffic laws
- Distraction
- Impairment
- Exhaustion
- Excess speed
- Aggression
If You’re Injured by an Uber Driver’s Negligence
If you suffered an injury due to an Uber driver’s negligence, the matter of which insurance you will file your claim with can be confusing, and ultimately, there might be two providers involved. Consider the following common scenarios:
- If you are a passenger in the Uber at the time of the accident, Uber’s robust coverage will handle your claim, and the same is true if you’re an occupant of another vehicle, but the Uber driver either has a passenger or is on the way to pick one up.
- If you are the occupant of another vehicle at the time of the accident and the Uber driver is in wait mode – or is standing by to be assigned a passenger – you’ll file your claim with the driver’s personal provider. If the accident is serious and the driver’s coverage is exhausted, you’ll need to file another claim with Uber – to cover your excess losses.
- If the Uber driver is off the app – even if they just hopped off – Uber is no longer involved, and you’ll file your claim with the driver’s personal provider just like you would in any other car accident.
An Experienced Myrtle Beach Uber Accident Attorney Can Help
The accomplished Myrtle Beach Uber accident attorneys at John Price Law Firm have an impressive track record of guiding challenging Uber accident claims toward optimal outcomes, and we welcome the opportunity to also help you. To learn more, please contact us online or call 843-552-6011 today.