Kentucky residents who use ridesharing transportation might wonder about liability issues if an accident occurs. With companies like Lyft and Uber, drivers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. This means any suits following an accident would likely be filed against drivers instead of a company.
Following car accidents, injured passengers should typically seek emergency assistance if necessary, take pictures of the wreck and get the names and relevant information from the drivers involved, witnesses and responding officers. When a wreck occurs while using a ridesharing service, passengers should also ensure that they have the name of their driver and take screenshots of the receipt. Lyft and Uber have a $1 million liability policy for when a driver is at fault.
When seeking compensation for an accident, one would likely file suit against the driver and serve documents to the appropriate business’ insurance company as well. One may need to consult an attorney who can send preservation of evidence letters to the driver and company. If the company does not preserve all the related data, then it might be possible to sue them in some states.
If another driver is at fault for an accident, their personal insurance policy will be used first. Lyft and Uber both have $1 million underinsured motorist policies if the personal insurance policy does not provide enough to cover expenses.
A car accident victim might wish to consult an attorney when filing a suit against the responsible party. Some cases may be more complex than they appear. For example, a motorist could be hurt in a crash involving an Uber driver. Both the motorist and the Uber driver could think the other driver is at fault, and both could share some responsibility for the accident. Legal counsel may be helpful when trying to recover the maximum settlement amount possible.