Uber Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA

If You Were In An Uber Car Accident, Our Uber Accident Attorneys Can Help

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are in operation throughout Southern California. While these companies have added much convenience to our lives, the level of safety that their drivers display is not always as high as many of us would like. When you see an Uber, or other rideshare driver, speeding along, paying more attention to their phone than their surroundings, you can’t help but wonder when disaster is going to strike. But the real concern surrounding accidents involving Uber drivers, is one of insurance coverage.

When To Hire An Uber Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by an Uber driver, you may have trouble getting the compensation you deserve, due to discrepancies about which insurance policy is covering that driver. To get representation by attorneys with thorough knowledge of California rideshare insurance laws, contact NOVIK LAW GROUP, A Professional Corporation. Our Encino car accident lawyers can answer any questions you may have involving rideshare liability. Call (818) 305-6041 for a free consultation to talk to an Uber accident attorney in Encino that specializes in rideshare accidents.

Uber Driver Insurance

In California, rideshare liability is supposed to be divided up by period of driver activity. Those periods are as follows:

Period 1: While the driver is in their vehicle and has the driving app on their cellphone turned on but doesn’t have any passengers or a ride request.

Period 2: After the driver accepts a ride request and is driving to pick up the rider or riders.

Period 3: Begins when the rider is picked up, and ends when the rider or riders are dropped off.

During Period 1, the driver is covered by their personal auto insurance policy. During Periods 2 and 3, the driver is covered by the rideshare company’s insurance policy. However, most personal auto insurance policies stipulate that a driver’s personal vehicle cannot be used for commercial purposes.

This stipulation gives the driver’s insurance company a technical loophole with which to deny coverage for any accident or injury that occurs during Period 1. Some insurance companies now offer “rideshare insurance,” which covers drivers during Period 1. But, according to the blog The Rideshare Guy, 60 – 80% of drivers don’t carry rideshare insurance.

This means that if you are involved in an accident caused by an Uber driver during Period 1, the driver may not be covered, and you’ll be stuck without compensation for your injuries and losses.

Uber Driver Assault

Uber, and other rideshare companies, run minimal background checks on those applying to drive for them. Such background checks will find any recent felony convictions of a potential driver, but they may not uncover arrests in which the charges are dropped, or incidents when drivers were charged but not convicted.

The criminal records of youthful offenders are sealed when they become adults, so a routine background check may not turn up a driver’s violent past. Drivers with serious mental issues can also fly under the radar of a background check. In all of these situations, a rider may be subject to assault or other crimes.

After An Uber Accident, Call Us Right Away!

The knowledgeable attorneys at NOVIK LAW GROUP, A Professional Corporation, are up to date on the current California rideshare insurance laws, and will fight to see that anyone harmed by an Uber driver will receive the fair compensation they deserve. Call (818) 305-6041 for a free case evaluation. We can meet at our main office in Encino, or we can come to you if you have been seriously injured.