Metairie Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer
During the past decade, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have become a popular way for people to get around Jefferson Parish and the greater New Orleans area. Indeed, rideshares are now more popular than legacy taxicab services, due largely to the convenience of calling an on-demand ride from your smartphone. At the same time, many local residents have been able to earn substantial additional income using their vehicles to provide rides for paying customers.
But as with any motor vehicle, Uber and Lyft cars are often involved in accidents. Sorting out who is legally responsible for compensating the victims of such accidents can get tricky due to the intersecting legal obligations of the driver, the rideshare company, other drivers, and potentially multiple insurance companies. An experienced Metairie Uber & Lyft accident lawyer can help you in sorting out the mess. The personal injury team at Palazzo Law Firm has the skill and experience to negotiate with multiple parties and secure a settlement or personal injury award that fully and fairly compensates you for your losses in an accident.
Will Uber or Lyft’s Insurance Cover My Accident?
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft provide third-party liability insurance of up to $1 million in the event of an accident. But that insurance typically kicks in only when the rideshare driver’s personal insurance coverage is exhausted first. And it only applies when the rideshare driver is actually in the process of picking up or transporting a customer.
When a rideshare driver is merely logged into the Uber or Lyft app and “available” to pick up a ride, the amount of third-party liability coverage drops quite significantly. Louisiana law only requires rideshare companies to provide up to $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per person (or $100,000 per accident) during these waiting periods. And Uber or Lyft is not responsible at all for covering accidents caused by drivers who are not actually logged into their apps.
And of course, even when the rideshare’s full $1 million policy is in effect, that does not mean the insurer will be eager to pay up. The insurance company may try and deflect blame onto other parties, such as another driver, in order to take advantage of Louisiana’s comparative fault rule in car accident cases. This can be especially problematic if you were driving your own car and that crashed into a rideshare vehicle. The rideshare company can try and argue that you were actually at-fault.
Contact Palazzo Law Firm Today
As with any car crash, victims of an accident involving a rideshare vehicle can seek compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, among other damages. It is important to speak with an experienced Metairie Uber accident/rideshare lawyer before agreeing to any settlement offer from an insurance company, however, because any initial proposal is likely to significantly undervalue your potential damages.
If you need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible, contact Palazzo Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.
