Many people use Uber for their transportation needs, but few have probably given much thought about what happens if their Uber driver is involved in a crash. This scenario presents a number of different legal issues, especially in a case where the rider is injured. For purposes of this blog, let’s assume that you are a rider that is injured in an Uber vehicle involved in a crash.
The first thing to determine is who is at fault for causing the crash. In the event that the driver of the other vehicle is at fault, then you would look to that driver’s liability insurance to provide coverage for the injuries. But what happens if that driver has bad insurance that isn’t enough to even cover your medical bills? In this situation, you should turn to Uber for what is known as an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim. Uber maintains a commercial policy that provides at least $1 million in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for any occupant in the vehicle during the ride.
In the event that the Uber driver is at fault for causing the crash while you are a passenger in the Uber vehicle, there would be the potential for a claim against the Uber driver. Uber will likely claim that the Uber driver was an independent contractor at the time of the crash as opposed to an employee of the company. This distinction is significant as it is more difficult to hold a company responsible for the negligence of an independent contractor compared to an employee of the company. However, the Uber driver would be provided liability insurance coverage of at least $1 million through Uber if the crash occurred during a ride. Here is a helpful link to better understand the insurance coverages for Uber drivers. https://www.uber.com/drive/insurance/
Hopefully you never find yourself in a situation where you have to worry about these issues. But if you or someone you know does find themselves in an unfortunate situation like this, please reach out to our team of our trusted Columbus car accident lawyers so we can help you properly navigate the problem.