After a Lyft or Uber accident, you may have the right to seek accountability and justice for your injuries and losses. However, navigating the claims process after a rideshare accident can become complicated, especially when the rideshare companies, the drivers, and their insurers try to avoid liability for injuries and property damage.

Get the legal help you need to recover the compensation you deserve by contacting Bayuk Pratt for a free, no-obligation initial case evaluation. You’ll learn how an Atlanta Uber and Lyft accident attorney can help you pursue financial recovery for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and car repairs.

Benefits of Hiring an Attorney for Your Uber or Lyft Accident Claim

Hiring a rideshare accident attorney can help you recover from the crash by giving you a dedicated advocate who can pursue your legal claims while you focus on your treatment and rehabilitation. At Bayuk Pratt, we use our 50 years of combined experience to:

  • Thoroughly investigate your claim
  • Document your injuries and losses
  • Vigorously pursue a negotiated settlement
  • Take your case to court and trial, if necessary

At our law firm, we provide victims of Atlanta rideshare accidents with a distinct advantage. Before they founded Bayuk Pratt, Frank Bayuk and Bradley Pratt were senior partners at two of the top defense law firms in the country. They’ve spent time on the other side, so they know how insurance companies fight cases and avoid taking responsibility for accident victims’ injuries and losses. They started Bayuk Pratt to use their experience to help people in need — and they’ve secured more than $300 million to date on their behalf.

We’re proud to represent victims of rideshare accidents at no upfront cost. When you hire us for your case, you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you through a settlement or at trial. Our fee comes from the financial recovery we secure in your Uber and Lyft accident case, so you never have to pay out of pocket for our services.

What to Do After a Rideshare Accident

After being involved in an Uber crash, you can take steps to help you pursue financial recovery. Things you should do after a rideshare accident include:

  • Notifying the rideshare company and your car insurance provider (if you have a policy) about the accident
  • Seeking prompt medical attention and following your doctor’s treatment plan and recovery instructions
  • Obtaining a copy of the police accident report from the crash
  • Requesting copies of medical records of your treatment and rehabilitation of your accident injuries
  • Keeping all bills, invoices, and receipts of expenses you incur during your recovery
  • Gathering your pay stubs or income statements if you need to take time off work while recovering from your injuries or earn less than you did before the accident
  • Not posting about your accident to social media, to prevent the insurer from using your words against you in your claim

Finally, contact a rideshare accident attorney from Bayuk Pratt as soon as possible after the crash. We will discuss your rights and the next steps you can take to seek compensation for your injuries and losses in an Uber or Lyft crash.

How We Investigate Uber and Lyft Accident Cases

At Bayuk Pratt, an Uber car accident attorney will promptly begin working on your case by investigating the circumstances and causes of the crash to identify the liable party or parties. Examples of evidence we use to build rideshare accident cases include:

  • Police accident reports and citation or arrest records
  • Accident scene photos and videos
  • Surveillance, traffic camera, and dashcam footage
  • Eyewitness statements
  • Cell phone records, including GPS logs and data from the rideshare mobile application
  • Vehicle repair and maintenance records
  • Post-crash vehicle inspection reports
  • Accident reconstruction expert reports and testimony

Compensation You Could Recover in an Uber or Lyft Accident Claim

When you’ve sustained injuries in a rideshare accident, you may have a claim to financial recovery for ongoing and future expenses. Your Uber and Lyft accident compensation can provide you with money for your:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses, including emergency treatment, surgeries, hospitalization, doctor appointments, medical and orthopedic equipment purchases, medications, and physical and occupational therapy
  • Costs of long-term disability care if your injuries result in severe prolonged or permanent disabilities
  • Lost income and lost future earning capacity
  • Physical pain and emotional trauma or distress
  • Costs of car damage repairs or reimbursement of the value of your totaled vehicle
  • Reduced quality of life caused by visible scarring or disfigurement or physical disabilities that interfere with your daily living

Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Rideshare Accident in Atlanta

Depending on the cause of an Uber accident, you may have the right to seek compensation from parties who bear liability for the accident and the injuries you’ve suffered. Examples of parties whom you might hold liable for a rideshare accident in Georgia include:

  • The Rideshare Driver – When an Uber or Lyft driver causes an auto accident that injures you, you can pursue action against the driver for your injuries and losses.
  • The Rideshare Company – Although rideshare companies typically do not employ their drivers, they must provide insurance coverage for their drivers. After a rideshare accident, you may have the right to file a claim against the rideshare company’s insurance. In Georgia, rideshare insurance must provide at least $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident of bodily injury liability coverage when the rideshare driver has logged into the network but does not have a ride request. Insurance must also provide $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident of bodily injury liability coverage when the driver has accepted a ride request or has a passenger in their vehicle. While these requirements are set by state law, individual rideshare companies may carry higher limits.
  • Another Motorist – When another driver hits your rideshare vehicle, you may have the right to pursue a claim against that driver for the injuries you sustained in the crash.

When you meet with a rideshare accident lawyer from Bayuk Pratt, we can assess your case to determine who could be liable for your accident injuries.

Could You Recover Compensation if You’re Partly to Blame for an Uber or Lyft Accident?

When you’re injured in a rideshare vehicle accident, you may still have the right to seek compensation even if you share some blame for causing the accident. Georgia law follows a modified comparative negligence rule in accident cases. This rule states that you may pursue a compensation claim if you have a lower share of fault than the other liable parties. However, any share of fault you bear for a rideshare accident can proportionally reduce your compensation from an Uber and Lyft accident claim.

How Long Do You Have to File an Uber or Lyft Accident Lawsuit in Georgia?

Under Georgia’s statute of limitations, you typically have two years to file an Uber and Lyft accident lawsuit to recover compensation for injuries you suffered and four years to file a claim for property damage you sustained in the accident.

You can protect your right to seek compensation by contacting an Uber and Lyft accident lawyer in Atlanta from Bayuk Pratt as soon as possible after a crash. Our firm can help you file your Uber and Lyft accident claim before the applicable deadlines expire. Otherwise, you might lose the opportunity to recover financially if you file an untimely lawsuit.

Common Types and Causes of Rideshare Accidents

Rideshare vehicles can get into different kinds of accidents and collisions, such as:

  • Rear-end collisions
  • Sideswipe collisions
  • Side-impact or T-bone collisions
  • Head-on collisions

The demands of driving a rideshare vehicle can put additional stress upon an Uber or Lyft driver. This can potentially lead to careless or reckless mistakes that can cause an accident and injure innocent people. Some of the top causes of rideshare accidents in Georgia include:

  • Speeding
  • Driving too fast for road, weather, or traffic conditions
  • Tailgating
  • Reckless driving, including excessive speeding or swerving through traffic
  • Running red lights or stop signs
  • Illegal or unsafe turns, lane changes, or passes
  • Failing to use turn signals or check mirrors
  • Distracted driving, including using a rideshare mobile application while driving
  • Drowsy or fatigued driving caused by rideshare drivers working long shifts or during late night or early morning hours
  • Illegal double parking or stopping in an active traffic lane
  • Opening doors in the path of oncoming vehicles or bicycles
  • Driver inexperience or unfamiliarity with traffic laws and local roads
  • Inadequate vehicle maintenance, as rideshare vehicles may experience more wear and tear than other passenger vehicles

Typical Injuries Resulting from an Uber or Lyft Collision

A Lyft accident can cause rideshare passengers or occupants of other vehicles to suffer various injuries, such as:

  • Severe lacerations or abrasions
  • Dislocated joints
  • Ligament sprains and tears
  • Muscle or tendon strains and tears
  • Broken bones
  • Whiplash
  • Nerve damage
  • Herniated spinal disc injury