New York Uber Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been involved in an Uber accident in New York, a New York Uber accident lawyer can provide essential legal support. They understand the complexities of rideshare regulations and insurance claims, ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve.

From medical expenses to lost wages, they handle all aspects of your case, allowing you to focus on recovery. Trust a lawyer to protect your rights and navigate the legal process effectively when rideshare drivers are involved in a harm-causing incident.

How a New York Uber Accident Attorney Can Help You

Each car accident has its unique fact pattern or different circumstances that can, among other things, make sorting out liability (i.e., who’s at fault and who pays) very challenging.

Our legal team of New York City Uber accident attorneys is dedicated to determining the best course of action when it comes to handling each individual case.

The complicated claims procedure and legalese in an ordinary car accident case can be daunting. When an Uber driver and the Uber company are involved in the process to seek compensation from the liable party or parties after an accident, the process can become even more complicated and therefore more intimidating. One size typically fits none.

Potentially dangerous scenarios in New York involving Uber include, but are not limited to, those in which someone (a driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, etc.) is struck by an Uber driver, or someone is injured while a passenger in an Uber vehicle in an incident caused by the Uber driver, another motorist, or someone or something else. The Uber driver may also be a potential victim in a dangerous New York scenario, if the Uber driver of the vehicle is hit by another motor vehicle while logged into the app.

If you fit into any of these general categories, and want your rights to financial compensation protected without getting the run-around from insurance companies or other aloof bureaucrats, reach out to an Uber accident lawyer at Spektor & Associates P.C. As a client, you will have our full attention.

Our aggressive and knowledgeable New York personal injury lawyers can conduct a thorough investigation of what happened if you were hurt in an Uber in New York, find and gather key evidence in that context, provide an insightful valuation of the claim, and seek to obtain compensation to which you are entitled for your injuries from Uber and/or other parties deemed responsible as derived from the available insurance policies.

We will methodically negotiate with Uber, its insurer, and other at-fault parties, and if the response is less than fair in terms of the available insurance or other available settlement funds to compensate you in these kinds of cases for Uber users, we may be prepared to take them to court.

What Should I Do If I Am Injured in An Uber Accident?

If you’ve been in an Uber-related collision in NYC, a couple of boxes need to be checked in the early stages to preserve your side of the story.

As a threshold matter, call 911 from the scene to request a police and paramedic response (and transport to the hospital if the injuries are serious). This will create a real-time paper trail to document the accident, the identity of each driver, and the initial medical assessment that day. Do not leave the street or the area before first-responders arrive.
Afterwards, you should also make an appointment with your family physician and/or other healthcare professionals for follow-up care even if or when an injury does not appear severe in the immediate aftermath.
If possible while you’re waiting for the NYPD to arrive at the location, and still keeping personal safety at the forefront, pull out your phone and take photos and videos of the accident scene including the physical and property damage and collect and record any relevant contact or insurance information from other drivers and witnesses.
Notify your insurance company that you’ve been in an accident. This may trigger no-fault benefits under your own coverage.
Report the crash to Uber using the Uber app.
Avoid “editorializing” by making any statements to an insurance company or Uber that could jeopardize your insurance compensation claim.
Schedule a consultation with a New York Uber accident lawyer as soon as you are able to arrange for dedicated legal representation for your claim. Regardless, don’t accept any preemptive settlement offer put in front of you or accept a denial of liability at face value before obtaining legal advice from your attorney and to learn about all your options.

Who Is Responsible for Compensation After An Uber Accident?

As alluded to above, the motorists or third party or parties whose negligence, recklessness, or intentional wrongdoing, or an associated failure to abide by a duty of care, led to the incident can potentially be held liable for an Uber-related accident.

A party or parties can also be found partially at fault, rather than entirely at fault, for an Uber accident. Liability for compensation can be parceled out from there.

Although some Uber drivers, similar to taxicab drivers, get a bad rap, , an Uber driver in certain scenarios obviously could be the victim rather than the instigator of a rideshare accident.

To say the very least then, New York City traffic poses a day-to-day challenge, including for passengers and pedestrians. In an ideal world, no one should have to go through the ordeal of a traumatic accident. Sorting out who is responsible, particularly when Uber, contractors, and ridesharing generally are involved, is not easy. It requires professionals who are experienced in this kind of legal complexity such as the legal team at Spektor & Associates, P.C.

In New York and in other states, Uber itself has been engulfed in controversy over the degree to which it is responsible for the actions of its drivers and whether those drivers actually fit the independent contractor definition.

The good news perhaps is that this has culminated, in part, in Uber implementing insurance policy coverage for accident victims as required by New York law.

The amount of coverage available in New York depends on the Uber driver’s status at the time of the collision as well as a determination as to whether the Uber driver is at fault.

If an Uber driver is logged into the app but hasn’t yet accepted any customer ride requests, the amount of insurance coverage for bodily injury maxes out at $75,000 for each person and $150,000 for each accident, plus $25,000 for property damage.

The ante is significantly increased if the Uber driver is on the way to pick up a customer or has already done so, and the trip is underway when the accident happens. The maximum benefit under the umbrella policy in that scenario is $1.25 million.

Assuming there is proof that the Uber driver is at fault, that driver’s own insurance coverage also could be in play for compensation payments depending upon a meticulous evaluation and review of the facts.

If an Uber driver is not logged into the app at the time of the accident, then Uber itself will likely deny any responsibility for the accident.

What Causes Uber Accidents In New York City?

In general, the causes of car accidents in New York are consistent across the board whether or not an Uber driver is behind the wheel. An argument perhaps might be made, however, that Uber drivers who are trying to maximize their side-hustle earnings, may lack the driving skills or experience of more traditional yellow taxi drivers. Distracted driving while on the app may or may not be a significant factor as suggested below. Fatigued driving by a third party, commercial or otherwise may also have contributed or exert a certain level of influence in a case.

The most common causes of NYC Uber car accidents, as with other accidents, include the following:

distracted or inattentive driving
speeding, running lights or stop signs
other forms of erratic or reckless driving,
failure to yield
poorly maintained vehicles
hazardous roads or weather conditions
drunk/drugged driving.

What Are Common Injuries Caused by Uber Accidents?

The types and number of injuries that people have suffered in an Uber-related accident can affect a victim’s short- and long-term wellbeing and capacity to conduct day-to-day activities and careers and thus deserve just compensation. An accident of this kind seldom leaves the victim’s life unchanged, and as a result, it often takes time to recover.

These types of injuries can sometimes include, but are not limited to, the following:

concussions or brain trauma
spinal cord damage
broken bones
Whiplash and other neck issues,
lacerations
soft-tissue bruises and swelling.

Residual pain as well as emotional shock can also persist.

At Spektor & Associates, P.C., we promise to work diligently on your case with the goal of pursuing and attaining the best possible outcome for our clients who deserve compensation given the injuries, catastrophic or otherwise, they have suffered.

How Long Do I Have to File An Uber Accident Claim?

Your Uber-related claim can commence immediately after the rideshare accident, although the extent of the harm you have suffered may take a while to emerge. When it comes to a lawsuit, if it turns out that one is necessary, New York laws impose a statute of limitations on a personal injury case. That is the legal terminology for the formal deadline within which an injury victim must file a lawsuit to keep a claim alive.

In most instances, the statute of limitations for a viable lawsuit In New York state is a maximum of three years from the date of the accident. That should allow plenty of time to retain a New York Uber accident attorney for your case, but the sooner the better. Don’t sit on your rights while important evidence supporting your claim could go stale.

In the short term, if you’ve been in a rideshare accident or any road accident as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, or perhaps while riding a bicycle, you need to notify your own insurance company of that fact within 30 days of that accident. As mentioned above, you should report the crash to the Uber claims support team “as soon as it’s reasonable to do so,” per the words of Uber on its website.

With that on the table, it may be advisable to obtain legal advice first before submitting either of these claim notifications to make sure that you are framing what happened accurately and in the most logical possible way.

What Compensation Can You Receive After an Uber Accident?

Money damages in an NYC car accident case, including in a rideshare situation, are usually appraised in both the economic and non-economic categories.

Economic damages for crashes typically include and cover the full array of medical bills and costs including for ongoing treatment, lost pay including future career wages or earnings that may never be realized but for the accident, expenses related to rehabilitation and nursing-type care, and property damage.

Non-economic damages, i.e., so-called intangible damages, can include, and this category potentially covers, pain and suffering, emotional trauma and distress, disruption to quality of life, permanent disability, and loss of consortium.

In a tragic situation involving a rideshare fatality, the family of the deceased person may also seek money damages for wrongful death. A University of Chicago study published in 2019 indicated that the introduction of rideshare services accounted “for a roughly 3 percent annual increase” in U.S. traffic fatalities, which translates to about 100 deaths each year.

The attorneys at Gregory Spektor & Associates, P.C., will thoroughly and sensitively discuss these potential damages with you to determine if they apply to your Uber accident case and to what extent they can be provided in a settlement or an award.

When Do I Have to File An Uber Accident Lawsuit In New York?

Again, as discussed previously, a three-year statute of limitations applies to an Uber accident lawsuit in New York. As the law provides, that means that the legal paperwork for the case must go to court no later than three years from the date of the accident, although some exceptions may apply in limited circumstances.

For several reasons, it is a bad idea to wait until the last minute to file a formal complaint in court, in this instance against Uber or whoever else might be deemed responsible for the rideshare accident.

It is, however, usually advisable to hold off on a lawsuit while negotiations are underway by the attorneys and/or until a client has reached what is considered maximum medical improvement or healing according to health professionals. At that point, your New York Uber Accident attorney can properly calculate and evaluate the measure of potential damages for which you are eligible.

Contact Our New York Uber Accident Lawyers for Help

As a practical matter, ride-sharing or -hailing services have become immensely popular especially in urban centers like New York City.

There is a certain amount of risk, however, when you get into an Uber in New York because an accident while on a drive unfortunately can happen or perhaps likely happens to anyone, yourself included. If you or a family member have been seriously injured in an Uber or by an Uber, reach out to us today for a free consultation.

Our legal team has vast experience in and comprehensive knowledge of personal injury law, especially in effectively addressing the complex requirements attendant to interactions with big corporations and their insurance companies and policies. We are here to help victims like you and other New Yorkers get the justice and compensation they deserve, particularly in an accident involving an Uber driver.

In a validation of your and every claim, we take on settlements, litigation, and everything in between on your behalf to prove who is at fault and who should be paying.

Call us at 800-318-888 or contact us online to schedule an appointment for a free case evaluation. Our results-oriented firm serves clients throughout New York City, and we stand ready to represent you and fight for your interests.