A Georgia Rideshare Accident Attorney By Your Side
While you might not notice nearly as many yellow taxi-cabs rolling about the cities of the United States, if you look at the windshields of the other passenger vehicles on the road, you’ll see that many of them are rideshare vehicles from Uber, Lyft, and a variety of other services. Recent research published by the Pew Research Center found that the proportion of Americans using rideshare services has sharply risen recently with as many as 36% of Americans reporting utilizing rideshare services.
If you have been injured while using a rideshare service as a passenger, or you have been hit and injured by a rideshare driver, you may have a personal injury claim for compensation. Determination of the party liable for the damages linked to the accident requires a careful assessment of the circumstances of the accident and how the rideshare driver may have contributed. Connect with a Georgia rideshare accident attorney at Michael M. Day Law Firm, LLC, to discuss your case, and read on to learn more.
Rideshare Services Place More Cars on the Road and Increase Overall Accidents
According to data published by the University of Chicago, the rise in the use of app-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft has resulted in a rise of approximately 3% in the number of motor vehicles and fatal accidents. The data considered eight major US cities from 2001 to 2016 and noted that in 2011 ride-hailing services accounted for approximately 987 deaths in motor vehicle crashes that year. This number of deaths was noted as a 3% increase over the previous year, demonstrating the dangers associated with rideshare services and the accidents associated with them.
Metro areas that have ridesharing services are noted to experience a decrease in the use of public transportation and a rise in vehicle registration. This puts more vehicles on the road as customers shift away from public transportation to rideshare drivers using their personal vehicles, naturally increasing the number of accidents.
Rideshare Services Have Been Found to Decrease DUIs
The National District Attorneys Association notes that the growing rise in rideshare services has resulted in a downward trend in drunk driving-related accidents as some individuals are making the wise decision to not drink and drive. However, drunk driving fatalities and serious injury accidents continue to occur, and rideshare drivers and their passengers trying to be responsible are still hit and injured by drunk drivers that are on the road.
Drunk drivers kill some 29 persons in the US each day and seriously injure tens of thousands each year. If you have been injured in an accident with a drunk driver when you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, or if your rideshare vehicle driver themself was intoxicated, you should speak with a Georgia rideshare accident attorney as you may have a claim for your damages.
Who is Responsible for a Rideshare Accident, the Driver or the Service?
When you are injured in an accident with a rideshare driver, you will generally be collecting your compensation from an insurance company. The insurance company responsible for your damages may be the driver, or it could be the insurer for the rideshare company. The unique circumstances of your accident will determine the division of fault between the driver and their employer, as well as what insurance company you will need to file with in order to collect your compensation. It is best to have a Georgia rideshare accident attorney to help make this determination.
Fault in an accident is determined by considering which driver or drivers involved in the accident were negligent. Negligence occurs when a party is owed some duty by another, and that duty is breached resulting in an injury. It is a legal concept that you will need to apply to the facts of your accident to prove liability and collect damages. It might sound complicated, and it can be in practice if you do not know how to negotiate with the insurance company. Also, if negotiation fails, understanding the local court’s process for filing a lawsuit is complicated. Having a Georgia rideshare accident attorney assisting you is essential.
Your Attorney Collects Evidence, Drafts and Files Your Claim, and Negotiates the Best Outcome
While it would be ideal if you automatically received the damages that you are entitled to after your rideshare accident, that is not necessarily the case. Collecting damages is necessary for the following steps, amongst many others:
- Proving the fault or liability of the responsible party
- Measuring the complete damages associated with the accident and your related injuries and damages
- Drafting an insurance claim or lawsuit to demand what you are entitled to
- Filing the claim with the appropriate insurance company or filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party and their insurance company
- Negotiating the best possible settlement to your claim or outcome of your case
- Collecting the damages that you are awarded
Moving through the insurance claims process when you are trying to recover from your injuries can be difficult. Your Georgia rideshare accident attorney will handle the entire process on your behalf, from gathering evidence to collecting your compensation. Connecting with a local attorney as soon as possible following your rideshare accident will provide you support through every step of the process and also result in the highest possible payment.
We work on contingency, which means we only get paid if we win. Our payment is a portion of the amount that we win on your behalf. Your initial consultation is risk-free and cost-free, and if we win, our payment comes out of your earnings, which means you never have any out-of-pocket expenses.
Connect with a Georgia Rideshare Accident Attorney
Harmed in a rideshare accident while a passenger in a rideshare vehicle or while driving your own car? A Georgia rideshare accident attorney from Michael M. Day Law Firm, LLC, is available to consult on your case. Call us at (404) 480-4284 or visit our website.