Urbana Rideshare Accidents Lawyer
Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft allow Urbana residents and students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to have easy access to transportation. While rideshare vehicles can be convenient and may help to prevent drunk driving accidents, serious accidents and injuries can also involve rideshare vehicles. If you or somebody you love suffered injuries while riding in a rideshare vehicle or in a collision with an Uber or Lyft driver, you may be able to seek compensation. Contact our experienced Urbana rideshare accident lawyer to discuss your options for filing a claim.
Are Uber and Lyft Safe in Urbana?
Rideshare services have been operating in Illinois for more than a decade, and in that time, accident and injury rates have increased in the state and across the country. Researchers at the University of Chicago and Rice University conducted a study to assess the ways in which rideshare vehicles affect traffic accidents and fatality patterns in cities across the country. In analyzing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), those researchers found that traffic fatalities increased in cities as rideshare apps have become increasingly popular.
Just like other motorists, rideshare drivers can be held accountable for injuries they cause in collisions in Urbana.
How to Seek Compensation After a Rideshare Accident in Urbana, Illinois
There are multiple ways in which you might be able to seek financial compensation following a rideshare accident in Urbana, and your options will depend in part on whether you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle at the time of the collision and, if not, whether the rideshare driver had a paying passenger in their vehicle at the time. In terms of filing an insurance claim, you may be able to consider the following insurance claim options:
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If the rideshare driver did not have a passenger at the time of the collision and was at fault: If you were in another vehicle (or injured in a collision as a bicyclist or pedestrian) and the rideshare driver was “offline” at the time of the collision, your options are usually to file a third-party claim through the rideshare driver’s personal auto liability insurance, or to file a claim through your own car insurance;
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If the rideshare driver did have a paying passenger at the time of the collision and was at fault: Whether you were the passenger in the Uber or Lyft, or you were in another vehicle (or injured in a collision as a bicyclist or pedestrian), if the rideshare driver has a paying passenger, then you may be able to obtain compensation through the Uber or Lyft insurance policy of up to $1 million in liability for bodily injury.
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If another motorist was at fault: If you were injured in a collision involving a rideshare driver but another motorist was at fault, you may be able to seek compensation by filing a third-party claim through the negligent driver’s insurance or filing a first-party claim through your own insurance.
In circumstances where an insurance claim is insufficient to cover your losses, you may be able to file a rideshare accident lawsuit against the at-fault driver or another responsible party.
Contact Patel Law, PC
Anyone who has been injured in a rideshare accident should seek advice about filing a claim for financial compensation. Contact an experienced Urbana rideshare accidents lawyer for more information.
