Uber Accidents

In recent years, there has been a dramatic uptick in the use of rideshares in Georgia. One of the most prominent rideshare companies is Uber. While ridesharing apps can make transportation more convenient, they also result in a greater number of car accidents. An Uber driver may not necessarily be a good driver. Whether you are a passenger in an Uber that is involved in a crash, or the driver of another car hit by an Uber driver, you may sustain serious injuries. These can include broken bones, organ damage, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, amputations, burns, or disfigurement. If you were injured in an Uber accident in Georgia, you may be able to recover damages. You should contact the Atlanta Uber accident lawyers at Van Sant Law about your situation.

To recover compensation, you will need to establish liability. Many Uber accidents occur because of negligence. You will need to prove that it is more likely than not that the Uber driver owed you a duty of care, the Uber driver breached the duty, the breach caused your injuries, and damages resulted. Breaches of the duty of care may involve speeding, tailgating, weaving, failing to obey traffic signs and signals, texting while driving, or failing to check blind spots. For example, if you are a passenger, and your Uber driver was weaving through traffic without checking his blind spots, and he collided with the side of another car, you may be able to recover damages. For another example, if an Uber driver runs a red light and T-bones you while you are driving to the grocery store, and you suffer a skull fracture, you may be able to establish liability with the assistance of an Uber accident attorney in Atlanta.

Uber maintains insurance for accidents caused by its drivers, which is available if the driver does not carry their own insurance in these amounts. The amount available in a certain situation depends on whether the driver has accepted a trip. If a driver is available but has not accepted a trip, the limits of liability insurance are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident. If a driver has accepted a trip, the limit is $1 million in liability insurance and $1 million in uninsured motorist coverage.

Georgia follows a rule of modified comparative negligence. You can seek damages after an Uber accident, even if you were partly to blame. However, the court will reduce your damages by an amount proportionate to your fault, and you can be barred from recovery altogether if you were 50% or more at fault. The jury will evaluate all the evidence, determine the damages, and assign percentages of fault.

When there is an accident involving a rideshare, several defendants may share fault. Potential defendants could include not only an Uber driver but also other drivers and even other entities. For example, if your Uber driver was 25% at fault, a driver of another car was 50% at fault, and a manufacturer of a defective part in one of the vehicles was 25% at fault, and the damages were $1 million, your Atlanta Uber accident attorney should be able to help you recover $250,000 from your Uber driver, $500,000 from the other driver, and $250,000 from the manufacturer.

Once we establish liability in your Uber accident case, you may be able to recover compensatory damages. These can include both economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses could include loss of consortium, out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, and lost income. Non-economic losses can include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.

If you were injured in an Uber accident in Georgia, you should talk to the seasoned personal injury attorneys at Van Sant Law. We are an adapting and safety-conscious law firm, so we can sign your case up electronically without face-to-face interactions, although we can also visit you in person at your home. We have offices in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Athens, Cumming, Duluth, Lawrenceville, and Gainesville, and we represent accident victims throughout Georgia. Call us at 855-GA-INJURY or use our online form to reach an Uber accident lawyer in Atlanta or the surrounding areas.