Free Consultation
Call Us (720) 379-6363
Text Us (719) 534-3132
Practice Areas If you’ve been injured in a Lakewood rideshare accident, a Lakewood rideshare accident attorney from Fang Law Firm can help you understand and protect your legal rights. Our law firm has everything you need to bring a claim against a rideshare company and demand fair financial compensation for your losses.You might think that taking an Uber or Lyft home is the safest option – but you could still be at risk of getting into an accident if your rideshare driver is careless or reckless.
Uber and Lyft accidents lead to confusing legal situations. Unlike a typical automobile accident, a rideshare accident may involve the liability of the company, not just its driver. The best way to go up against a powerful rideshare company in Colorado is with assistance from an attorney. A Lakewood car accident attorney will know exactly how to navigate your case and pursue maximum financial compensation from all available outlets.
A lawyer can investigate the rideshare accident, gather evidence, explain your rights and legal options, and make sure that you have everything you need during this difficult time. Your lawyer will have connections to the courts and qualified rideshare accident experts to help you build a compelling case. A Lakewood rideshare accident lawyer will not allow a rideshare company or its aggressive legal team to take advantage of you in your time of need.
The damages – the legal term for financial compensation – available to you after an Uber or Lyft accident in Lakewood can allow you to pay off your bills and move forward after a collision. If you did not cause the rideshare accident (such as if you were a passenger in the Uber or Lyft), we believe that you should not have to pay. Our lawyers can help you fight for fair damages for both economic and noneconomic losses, including:
The value of your Uber/Lyft accident case will depend on the extent of your injuries and losses, as well as other factors. A Lakewood rideshare accident attorney from Fang Law Firm can help you create a comprehensive list of all of your losses to submit in your demand letter to an insurance company. Then, your lawyer can help you negotiate for fair financial compensation for all of your present and future costs. While most rideshare accident cases reach settlements in Colorado, a lawyer can take your case to trial, if necessary.
According to Colorado law (Revised Statute Section 13-80-101), you have three years from the date of your rideshare accident to file a lawsuit in the civil courts. This is Colorado’s statute of limitations on motor vehicle accidents. For the most part, if you attempt to file a lawsuit after three or more years have passed, the courts will reject the case. The three-year window applies to motor vehicle accident claims for bodily injuries and property damage.
Note that this is the time limit on filing a lawsuit, not an insurance claim. In general, insurance companies require prompt reporting of car accidents. If you wait too long to file a complaint with Uber or Lyft and initiate an insurance claim, this could make it more difficult to obtain the financial compensation that you deserve. The rideshare company or its insurance carrier may use your delay against you. Contacting an attorney as soon as possible is in your best interest.
In a rideshare accident case, you must consider the possibility of holding more than just the at-fault driver responsible for the crash. While most car accident cases name an individual driver as the defendant – the party allegedly responsible for paying for the crash – an Uber or Lyft accident case can involve the liability of the company, in some situations.
Although rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors in Colorado – meaning you generally cannot hold the company vicariously responsible for a rideshare driver – Uber or Lyft may still be liable for your accident if the company contributed to the crash through its own error, such as failing to conduct a proper background check before hiring a driver.
Even if you cannot bring a claim against Uber or Lyft based on negligence, you may still qualify for the company’s $1 million in liability insurance coverage. Both rideshare companies offer up to $1 million in coverage to injured accident victims. The amount available to you will depend on the phase of the ride at the time of the crash. If you were injured as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft vehicle, you will qualify for the full $1 million.
You may also be able to file an insurance claim against a third party for its participation in your collision. If another driver crashed into your Uber or Lyft car, for example, you can file a claim with that driver’s insurance provider. You may also have grounds for a claim against an automaker, vehicle software engineer, another company or the government. An attorney can help you name all responsible parties in your rideshare accident case in Lakewood.
Rideshare accident cases in Colorado are complicated because they involve more than just two drivers. They also involve the rideshare company. These accidents can involve an injured rideshare driver, rideshare passenger, third-party driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, and/or third parties. In some cases, the rideshare passenger is injured but the rideshare driver is not, or else there is a different combination. Some of the most common types of rideshare accidents in Lakewood are:
The types of personal injury cases that can arise out of these rideshare accidents include a rideshare passenger filing a claim against the rideshare driver, the passenger filing a claim against another driver outside of the Uber or Lyft, or another driver filing a claim against the rideshare driver. Each of these cases requires a different approach, as the legalities of the case change according to who is being held accountable. The Lakewood rideshare accident lawyers at Fang Law Firm can investigate your case to determine the best course of action for your situation.
The injuries that a victim sustains in a rideshare accident can change his or her life forever. Automobile accidents have the capacity to inflict catastrophic injuries, or injuries that will severely and/or permanently impact the victim. Even minor injuries from a rideshare accident can result in expensive medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Some of the most common injuries associated with rideshare accidents are:
If you or a loved one suffered a serious or catastrophic injury in an Uber or Lyft accident in Lakewood, you may be entitled to financial compensation to pay for present and future medical care. This may include medications, physical therapy, doctor’s appointments and rehabilitation that you may need far into the future. It is important to understand the full value of your injuries before accepting an insurance settlement for a rideshare accident. A lawyer can give you an accurate estimation of how much your case is worth.
In the majority of car accident cases, it is the insurance company of the at-fault party – not the at-fault party himself or herself – that pays for a settlement or judgment award. When you get injured in a car accident involving an Uber or Lyft driver, your claim will most likely go through the insurance company of the rideshare driver or rideshare company. This distinction, as well as the maximum amount of recovery under the policy limit, depends on the ride period at the time of the crash.
Uber and Lyft both break their insurance coverage down into three periods. Uber provides the following amounts of insurance coverage per period:
In addition, Uber requires all of its drivers to carry personal automobile insurance that meets the state’s minimum financial responsibility guidelines. In Colorado, this is at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per person, $50,000 in bodily injury insurance per accident and $15,000 in property damage insurance. Uber will let you know whether its insurance or the driver’s personal policy will cover your accident.
Lyft’s insurance policies are very similar to Uber’s. Lyft also uses the period system to determine how much insurance coverage, if any, it will provide to injured rideshare accident victims. The descriptions of the three periods are the same as they are listed in Uber’s policy. The coverage amounts for each period are also the same. Lyft requires its rideshare drivers to carry their own automobile insurance that meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements, as well.
Like Uber, Lyft provides up to $1 million in total liability coverage after a rideshare driver has matched with a passenger. The only difference between Uber and Lyft’s insurance policies is that when paying the actual cash value or repair costs of a vehicle, the deductible with Lyft is $1,000 instead of $2,500.
If you get involved in a rideshare accident in Colorado, try to remain calm and remember to take the following steps:
For assistance with these steps, reach out to a rideshare accident lawyer at Fang Law Firm as soon as possible after your crash.
If you’ve been involved in an Uber or Lyft accident in Lakewood, Colorado, you could be entitled to financial compensation. The Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at Fang Law Firm can help you navigate the claims process while protecting your rights and best interests. We can direct you to top doctors in Lakewood and help you fight for maximum financial compensation against a powerful rideshare company.