When you are involved in an accident with Uber or Lyft, there are several things that you need to consider. Some of them will be similar to how to deal with any vehicular accident, while a couple is important specifically to rideshare incidents. Be sure to consider all these tips when you are filing an accident claim.
Get Necessary Medical Attention
If you or any other person involved in the accident have any injuries, you need to ensure that the necessary treatment is given. You may need to go to a hospital immediately or call an ambulance to the accident if the injuries are severe; if you sustain minor injuries or aberrations like cuts and bruises, you should also indicate this to emergency responders to evaluate you and determine if you need immediate help. If the injuries are minor, you may be asked to stay to provide statements or exchange information and seek treatment after. Stating your injuries will also be important for the future when you are dealing with insurance claims or legal battles. Having such medical history and evidence or indication of injuries will impact the financial outcome of your claim.
Contact A Lawyer
Contact The Police
The reason why police officers are so important to the accident claim process is that they can help assist the situation in a multitude of ways. First, they are able to ensure your safety by assessing the environment and calling other emergency personnel to the scene of the accident. This would include fire and ambulance services, depending on the severity of the crash or accident, getting people to safety, and directing oncoming vehicles to prevent further accidents from occurring. After an accident, police officers will take down the information and create an accident report that can be accessed at a later time, either by you or your insurance companies or even lawyers. This is important because you may need to build a case with this information or use the collected data to support evidence for any claims.
Collected Evidence
After an accident, regardless of whether or not a rideshare service was involved, you want to collect evidence. Information collected at the scene of the accident is vital to building a case and creating your insurance claim. Police information can provide a substantial amount to build your case or claim, but it is always smart to have your own evidence if you can. Take pictures, videos, or even gather verbal statements from witnesses. Statements are more effective immediately after an accident as memory will be fresh, and statements will be more accurate. Getting as much information as possible after the accident has occurred will prove to be more effective when building a case and needing such information in any legal cases that you may have to deal with.
Do Not Admit Any Fault Or Make Any Apologies
It can feel almost reactionary to apologize when you are involved in an accident, regardless of you being the one responsible or not. However, it is advisable that you do not claim any such responsibility or even apologize, as an apology may be misconstrued as an admission of the responsibility of the accident. It is especially important to be as cautious with what you say with police officers, as they can indicate in their notes the exact statements made and may pass judgment regarding such information. Additionally, you want to limit what you say even if you do feel responsible, as all the facts are not present. You may feel responsible while the other driver or even environmental or situational factors may come into play that could have caused the accident. Do not provide any indication or implication that you caused the accident.
When you are filing a claim after an accident has occurred while you are in an Uber or Lyft, as driver or passenger, or even if the rideshare vehicle was not your own, there are different aspects that you need to consider before you file your claim. Be mindful of how you approach your accident, as it can impact the outcome of the claim or case at hand.
