What to Do If You are Injured in a Lyft or Uber: When to Call a Rideshare Accident Lawyer
When we take a Lyft or Uber, we expect the rideshare company to ensure their cars and drivers are safe. Vehicles should be regularly maintained and free from mechanical problems, they should be clean, and all the safety features should be functional. Drivers should have clean driving records, use good judgment, and operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Unfortunately, the only thing we have to go by are the reviews left by other riders, and these don’t really give appropriate insight into the vehicle’s safety, or the quality of the driver. If you are ever injured while taking a Lyft or Uber in Southern California, you will want to call the best rideshare accident lawyer in Los Angeles to ensure you get the right medical care and full compensation for your injuries.
This article is intended to inform and educate people so that if they are ever involved in a rideshare accident they will know just what to do, and when to call for a rideshare accident lawyer.
What a Lyft / Uber Accident Lawyer Los Angeles Expert Has to Say About Rideshares
Over the last several years, rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber have become extremely popular, especially in Los Angeles where traffic is notoriously congested and causes a great degree of anxiety for many people. Rideshare services help to alleviate this strain, allowing commuters the opportunity to relax while someone else battles traffic. Rideshare services are easy to use, relatively affordable, and they are common across the nation.
That said, rideshare services are extremely valuable, and many people have saved lives by opting to take a rideshare home after they had a few drinks. However, rideshare drivers face many distractions that typical drivers don’t deal with. From multitasking with their app, to trying to plan their next pickup while still engaged in an existing ride, Uber and Lyft drivers have a lot of distractions to overcome, and as a result the chance of being involved in an accident increases.
Using rideshare services is something that can certainly make your life easier. But just be aware of the increased risks, and know what to do in the event you become an unfortunate statistic in a rideshare accident.
What is the First Thing I Should do If I am Injured in a Rideshare Accident?
If you are injured while taking an Uber or a Lyft, the first thing you will want to do is get to a safe area and call 911 for medical assistance. Your 911 call will not only help you get immediate medical care, but it will also give the police the opportunity to investigate the accident to see if there is a clear cause for the crash. If your driver was under the influence of a substance, the police will be able to tell and a report will be filed that you can use in your personal injury suit.
After you have called 911 for help, make as many observations as you can surrounding the accident. Was your driver distracted prior to the accident? Was he using the rideshare app at the time of the crash, or was he texting? Did he appear to be under the influence of alcohol or a substance? What were the road conditions like? Where was the other driver coming from and how was their vehicle behaving? If you can, take photos of the accident scene, and of your driver behind the wheel or next to the car. Take down as much information as you can and be sure to share all of these details with your rideshare accident lawyer.
Do I Need to Talk to a Rideshare Accident Lawyer Before Speaking with the Rideshare Company Rep or Insurance Providers?
Absolutely. Under no circumstances should you talk to anyone associated with the rideshare company or insurance companies until first speaking with a rideshare accident lawyer, and even then not until they first prepare you for these conversations. Rideshare companies and their legal teams, as well as insurance companies, know how to entrap accident victims into making precise statements that will limit the amount they can collect for compensation. Rideshare accident lawyers like Andrew Ryan of the Ryan Law Group know exactly what these tactics are, and have more than a decade of experience in defending accident victims against these predatory parties. That said, the first person you talk to after calling 911 should be your rideshare accident lawyer.
When Should I Call a Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles?
As stated above, the best time to call a rideshare accident lawyer is after you have called 911 to seek medical attention. Your safety and health is the most important thing, so this is why you want to seek hospital treatment ASAP, and why a 911 call takes precedence over calling your attorney.
Once you have called 911, your next call should be to your rideshare accident attorney. If you can do so comfortably, you can make this call as you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, or you can call from the ambulance while on your way to the hospital. If you are unable to talk due to the severity of your injuries, then you can call your rideshare accident lawyer after you have been treated and are in stable condition. Just know the sooner you can call your rideshare accident lawyer, the better.
What are Some Common Injuries from Rideshare Accidents in Los Angeles?
A great degree of data has been collected pertaining to rideshare accident injuries in Los Angeles. While many rideshare accidents result in minor injuries, others include catastrophic injuries and even death. Here are some of the most common rideshare accident injuries reported in Los Angeles County:
- Major bruising
- Lacerations and deep cuts
- Broken bones and bone fractures
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- Whiplash
- Eye injuries from broken glass
- Nerve damage
- Death
Many of these injury types will have dramatic consequences on your life and will make it difficult for you to provide for your family. These injuries can also leave you with a lifetime of pain management and medical care, and the best rideshare accident lawyer in Los Angeles will ensure that you are fully compensated for these current and future losses.
In the event your loved one passes away from injuries sustained in a rideshare accident, your personal injury attorney who specializes in rideshare accidents will help you file a wrongful death suit against the company whose negligent driver caused the accident.
When you call The Ryan Law Group, we will make sure that all of your hospital bills are covered and we will get to work right away holding the rideshare company accountable for your pain and suffering.
If I Don’t Work With a Rideshare Accident Lawyer, What Could Go Wrong?
Unfortunately we get a lot of calls from rideshare accident victims who never called for legal assistance; they thought they could work with the insurance companies on their own. What usually happens is that the rideshare companies will argue that you as a rider were partially responsible for an accident. In some cases they will argue that riders were distracting the drivers, and that the accident occurred as a result of rider interference. In other situations, the legal teams working for Uber and Lyft will, in a very underhanded manner, get victims to verbally give up their rights without them being any wiser. Finally, most people who don’t call for a rideshare accident lawyer after a Lyft or Uber crash will wind up being stuck with their own medical bills, and they will dig themselves into a financial hole they can never crawl out of. Finally, people can literally lose millions in a settlement if they don’t work with an experienced rideshare accident lawyer.
Call Now and Learn Why Andrew Ryan is the Best Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles County
For more than a decade Andrew Ryan of The Ryan Law Group has collected millions of dollars in settlements for rideshare accident victims in Los Angeles, and across the state of California. Not only is rideshare accident lawyer Andrew Ryan well versed, experienced and skilled in navigating the legal landscape of rideshare accident claims with a winning record, he is also known across the state of California for his compassion and genuine care that he shares with his clients. When you work with personal injury attorney Andrew Ryan you don’t just get the best rideshare accident lawyer in Los Angeles County, you get an ally and support figure who is there for you, from start to finish, as if you were family.
Don’t let the wealthy rideshare companies take advantage of you with their large legal teams on standby; call The Ryan Law Group for the best rideshare accident lawyer with a proven track record in standing up against these rideshare conglomerates collecting the maximum settlements for victims just like you. Now is the time for you to protect your livelihood and your family’s future. Call The Ryan Law Group for a free consultation, and discover just how much your case is worth today.