Orange County Uber, Lyft, Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Orange County Uber, Lyft,
Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Getting hurt in any type of motor vehicle collision is a devastating experience. When a motorist responsible for the collision is an Uber, Lyft, or rideshare driver, it can be particularly frustrating to know that a driver responsible for safely transporting others behaved in a negligent manner. In some Uber and Lyft collisions, the rideshare driver is not responsible, but instead another motorist is at fault for the collision. No matter how a rideshare accident happened, it is critical to find out about your options for seeking compensation. An experienced Orange County Uber/Lyft/Rideshare accident lawyer at Heidari Law Group, P.C. can assess your case today and provide you with more information about your options.

Could I File a Lawsuit Against Uber or Lyft?

Many people may think that because a driver has car insurance, they are not allowed to file a lawsuit against Uber or Lyft. But that is not the case. You could hold the driver’s employer responsible if the employee was on the job at the time of the accident.

Can I Afford an Uber and Lyft Attorney?

Each attorney works and gets paid in various different ways. But, our Attorneys at Heidari law get paid through contingency fee agreements. Contingency fee agreements are agreements where our clients do not have to pay for our services up front.

Instead, our attorneys will pay all the court fees, including filing, deposition, expert, etc.  If our attorneys win compensation for you, whether it is a settlement or a judgment, we will then take a percentage of that compensation as our attorney’s fees.

A settlement occurs when two parties negotiate an amount prior to going to trial. Usually, parties would try to settle because trial can get very costly, and the jury decides the judgment.

Steps to Take After an Uber, Lyft, or Rideshare Accident in Orange County

What should you do after a rideshare accident? Similar to steps you would take after another type of collision, it is critical to gather evidence and document the scene, as well as to ensure that you do not make any errors that could limit your ability to obtain compensation later on. Consider the following steps:

• Call 911 to have the police arrive at the scene and issue a citation to the at-fault driver;
• Take photographs at the scene of the accident, identifying any property damage to the vehicles involved in the collision as well as any injuries;
• Obtain names and contact information for everyone involved in the accident, including the rideshare driver and anyone riding in the Uber or Lyft, as well as for anyone who may have witnessed the Uber or Lyft accident;
• Go to a doctor for a medical assessment immediately, even if you do not think your injuries require emergency care; 
• Determine whether you need to report the accident to your auto insurer (if you were driving at the time of the crash, you do); and
• Seek advice from a rideshare accident lawyer in Orange County.

If you wait too long to seek medical care and it turns out you have injuries that worsened because of your delay, the defendant could argue that your damages award should be reduced due to your own negligence. 

Who is Liable for Injuries in an Orange County Uber or Lyft Accident?

Liability in an Orange County Uber or Lyft accident will depend on many factors, and in some circumstances, more than one party may be at fault. Commonly liable parties include but are not limited to:

• Negligent Uber or Lyft driver;
• Negligent motorist in another vehicle;
• Negligent pedestrian or bicyclist;
• Maker of a defective vehicle part; or
• Owner of the road or area where the rideshare accident happened.

When an Uber or Lyft driver is “on,” meaning that they have either accepted a ride and are en route for a pickup, or they have a paying passenger in the vehicle, both Uber insurance and Lyft insurance may pay up to $1 million in damages if the rideshare driver was responsible for the accident.

What Do Our Uber and Lyft Attorneys Do?

Our attorneys first start the process by holding one-on-one conversations with our potential clients. During this time, you have the chance to tell our attorneys the intricate details about the accident, and our attorneys will evaluate your case to determine if we could file a claim or a lawsuit. During this consultation, we may also decide who the potentially responsible parties may be. Each accident is different and may involve different liable parties.

We will then investigate your accident. There are several different key pieces of evidence that we look for when piecing together your accident. For example, we take a look at police reports, damage to the vehicles, medical records and bills, and witness statements to put together what exactly happened and what caused the accident.

After determining how the accident occurred, we will then negotiate and communicate with the responsible parties, whether they are insurance companies or their attorneys. 

What To Look For When Hiring An Attorney

When hiring an Uber or Lyft accident attorney, we recommend that you look for specific characteristics of an attorney.

• Experience:  make sure that the attorney has experience representing clients in a similar situation as yours. Make sure that they have previous experience representing those that have been injured in an Uber or Lyft accident.
• Reputation: the law firm’s reputation means a lot. Ask around your community, or do an online search to see if the firm’s reputation is positive.
• Comfortable: make sure that you feel comfortable when talking to the attorney since communication is key, especially with your attorney.

What are examples of rideshare accidents?

Rideshare accidents can lead to very severe injuries, especially because the accident victim was a passenger sitting in the back of the vehicle. 

Examples of rideshare accident injuries include:

• Sprains and strains
• Lacerations
• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Bruising
• Scarring
• Amputation

How much is my Uber accident worth?

Our Heidari law attorneys have free consultations where we invite you to come to speak to our experienced legal staff one-on-one to get a better idea of how much your lawsuit may be worth. Each lawsuit is different, to some, it could be a couple thousand, whereas others may have a lawsuit worth several million. It depends on the severity of the injuries.

Filing an Uber or Lyft Lawsuit in Orange County

If you plan to file a lawsuit against a negligent motorist or another at-fault party in an Uber or Lyft accident, it will be essential to file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out. Under California law, the statute of limitations for most types of accident claims is two years from the date that the accident occurred. In a rideshare crash, if you are suing the Uber or Lyft driver, your case will likely have a two-year statute of limitations. However, in some rideshare accident cases, the accident may have resulted from a hazardous road condition or a negligent motorist in another vehicle who was working at the time of the crash. 

Our attorneys have Nevada and California licenses, and we represent California and Nevada residents all throughout the states. We also have offices located in Fresno, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, just to name a few.