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When You Take an Uber, is it 'Ride at your own Risk?'
November, 2019 - Issue #182
courtesy of shutterstock
courtesy of shutterstock

With 36 percent of all Americans using ride-share services like Uber and Lyft, and a whopping 51 percent of Americans 18 to 29 doing the same, ride-share liability has become an essential conversation in legal circles.

The primary question of the day is this: If you're injured while being a passenger, or are hit by a ride-sharing vehicle, is the ride-share company liable? The answer is a complicated, "it depends."

"When you pull up the Uber app on your phone to arrange for a ride home, the last thing you're probably thinking is, 'Who will pay for my recovery if I'm involved in an accident during this ride?' - but thousands of riders have had to deal with just that scenario," says Gerald Marcus, of The Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus. With a recent study attributing a 2 to 3 percent increase in overall traffic accidents to ridesharing services, it's something users do need to consider before sliding into the backseat.

"Here's what you need to know when using a rideshare service," says Marcus, who was named a SuperLawyer again in 2019. "Understand that liability can be complicated depending on the circumstances, because ridesharing drivers are not formal employees of the companies they drive for. Because of that, in most cases, companies like Uber don't claim legal responsibility for the people who drive on their behalf."

So, does that mean that if you're injured in, or by, a rideshare driver that you're out of luck? "No," says the experienced injury attorney. "Generally, the large rideshare companies offer $1 million liability insurance, but there are some limitations on who it covers and when. And no matter what, you can expect the claims to be challenged by the megacorp's insurance company."

That's why having the power of an award-winning law office behind you is so important in these cases. "Your legal team will determine whether the company's insurance, or the driver's personal insurance, is liable - and then move forward aggressively. There are plenty of cases, like when a collision happens when a rideshare driver is 'off the clock,' or when there's a case of reckless driving, when both insurance companies deny initial claims. If you're injured, you deserve immediate medical care and compensation to put your life back together. Your law firm can take care of all of that so you can focus on healing."

Yes, You can Afford the Best Lawyer
in your Rideshare Injury Case

You've just been involved in an accident, you're in the hospital or recovering at home - and now you need to find the money to fight a multi-billion-dollar insurance industry? Not so, if you work with an injury law firm that bills on contingency. "When you arrange to pay your legal team on contingency, your lawyers don't get paid unless you do, via a portion of your award or settlement," says Gerald Marcus, Esq. "With contingency, you can 'afford' the very best law firm out there - and not spend a penny out of pocket. It's a great equalizer."
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