Boston Uber Accident Lawyer for Injuries Sustained by Passengers

Uber and other ridesharing services are being used more often in Massachusetts and in cities across the country. This means that accidents involving Uber vehicles also are on the rise.

If you’ve been injured while you’ve been a passenger in an Uber, you need an attorney on your side to make sure you receive full compensation for your injuries.

The Uber accident attorneys at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers have successfully handled claims involving Uber accidents, even the most complicated and contested cases. Our skilled and aggressive attorneys won’t stop working for you until you get the money that you’re owed.

We offer free consultations and take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay a penny unless we’re able to recover money for you.

Uber accident cases can be complicated. If the Uber vehicle that you’re riding in becomes involved in a crash with another motor vehicle, who’s responsible for compensating you for your injuries? The Uber driver’s insurer? Uber’s insurer? The other motorist’s insurer? Your insurer?

Our Uber attorneys will analyze the facts of your Uber accident and identify all potentially liable parties. If, for example, the Uber vehicle was defective and that defect contributed to the crash and your injuries, you may be able to file a product liability suit against the car manufacturer.

The law regarding Uber and ridesharing companies continues to evolve. You can rest easy knowing that our attorneys keep themselves informed and educated and are properly equipped to fight for you to recover the maximum amount of compensation available.

If you’ve been injured as a passenger riding in an Uber vehicle, you should call the police. If you need urgent help when riding with Uber, Uber suggests you contact 911 using the in-app Emergency Button in the Safety Toolkit. The app shows your live location, vehicle information, and license plate number, which you can share with the emergency dispatcher so they can send immediate help.

You can submit a crash report through the Uber app or using the company’s website at uber.com.

Obtain contact information from the Uber driver, other motorists and any witnesses at the scene.

Use your cellphone to take pictures of the involved vehicles and your injuries. Take a screenshot of the Uber app to show that you were an Uber passenger at the time of the accident. Take detailed notes about what happened.

Obtain medical treatment for your injuries as soon as possible. If you refuse medical treatment or wait too long to see a doctor, any involved insurance companies could argue that your injuries are not related to the accident or are not as serious as you claim.

Contact the Uber accident attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers and let us communicate with the insurance companies on your behalf. We will make sure that your claim is not undervalued or underpaid and that all responsible parties are held accountable.

During 2018, ride-sharing companies, including Uber and its main competitor Lyft, completed 81.3 million rides in Massachusetts. The Boston Globe reported on Jun 13, 2019 that this was a 25% jump from the previous year.

In Massachusetts, Boston is the main location for the majority of Uber and Lyft rides. This adds up to a large number of Uber drivers navigating the streets of Boston and other cities in Massachusetts.

As Uber drivers navigate the streets to get their passengers to their destinations, Uber drivers may be looking at their cellphones or GPS devices while they drive. In addition, they might be involved in conversations with passengers or pointing out the sights. Drivers trying to make extra cash might be sleep deprived, especially if they’re working a regular job and then driving for Uber on the side. All of these behaviors mean one thing: Uber drivers can be prone to distracted driving, including drowsy driving.

Uber reported in its 2017-18 Safety Report, there were 107 total fatalities involving Uber vehicles.

The company also reported that about 90% of Uber-related fatal crashes occurred in urban areas. As there are more pedestrians in urban areas, Uber accidents involving pedestrians are more likely to occur in these areas. In fact, the company reported that 30% of fatal crashes involved a pedestrian, and 25% of those crashes were drivers or riders using the Uber platform, who were outside the vehicle.

The Uber attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers have successfully handled a wide variety of cases involving Uber vehicles and are equipped to handle cases involving:

• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Reckless/aggressive driving
• Distracted driving, including driving while texting
• Drowsy driving
• Pedestrian accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Product liability
• Multiple vehicles
• Wrongful death

If necessary, our attorneys will consult with top experts to determine the cause of your accident and who is to blame. Our law firm works with distinguished experts in the fields of medicine, engineering, insurance and accident reconstruction. Oftentimes, expert reports are key pieces of evidence in these types of cases.

If the accident was caused in whole or in part because of a defective Uber vehicle—maybe the air bag didn’t deploy or the brakes failed—our attorneys may be able to file a product liability suit with the auto manufacturer.

If you were injured while you were getting into an Uber, getting out of an Uber or while you were outside of the Uber but on the Uber app, our attorneys can provide the help you need to recover any compensation that you’re owed.

Depending on the facts of your Uber accident case, Uber’s insurance company, the Uber driver’s insurance company, the insurance companies for any involved motor vehicles, as well as your insurance company could be required to foot part of the bill for your accident-related injuries. A car accident attorney will take a look at the big picture and identify all potentially liable parties.

Here’s a look at three different scenarios and their insurance implications:

The Uber driver is offline or the Uber Driver app is off: In a situation like this when the driver is off the clock, the Uber driver’s personal insurance coverage applies.

The Uber driver is available or waiting for a ride request: Uber maintains auto insurance on the driver’s behalf in case of a covered accident. That coverage, which is triggered if the driver’s personal auto insurance doesn’t apply, includes third-party liability of $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident and $25,000 in property damage per accident.

The Uber driver is en route to pick up riders or is driving a passenger: Uber maintains $1 million in third-party liability coverage on the driver’s behalf in case of a covered accident. Uber also maintains coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and contingent comprehensive and collision coverage. If you’re injured while riding as a passenger in an Uber and your Uber driver is to blame for the accident, this is the coverage that should apply. This coverage also applies if passengers sustain injuries entering and exiting the Uber vehicle.

If another motorist is at fault, you can collect against that driver’s insurance policy. If there isn’t enough coverage to compensate you for your injuries, Uber’s uninsured/underinsured coverage could be triggered.

As you can see, one of the most important queries in Uber car accident cases is whether the Uber driver was on the Uber app or driving a passenger at the time of the accident. If there’s any doubt about whether you were a passenger at the time of the accident, your attorney can obtain evidence to establish that the Uber was in service when your accident occurred.

Another key inquiry is who was at fault for the accident. The Uber driver? Another motorist? Both? If the Uber driver denies liability to keep a clean record and keep driving for Uber, you need a car accident attorney to fight for the money you deserve.

Even if Uber’s $1 million policy applies, the company’s insurer could deny responsibility or argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim. Like all insurance companies, Uber’s insurer is likely to be more concerned with its own bottom line than your health and well-being.

The attorneys at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can negotiate on your behalf and maximize the compensation that you receive.

Our skilled accident attorneys will negotiate with all involved insurance companies and, in most cases, provide you with a larger settlement than you would be able to negotiate on your own.

To learn more about how our car accident attorneys can help you with your Uber accident claim or other ridesharing claim, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today at (617) 367-2900 or use our online form.