If a driver is involved in an accident during the course of a ride, the passenger should notify the ridesharing service and call the local police to conduct an investigation.
Many people in Iowa and other states have utilized ridesharing services due to the convenience of getting around without having to drive. While there are positive aspects of these services, it also seems that roads are getting more crowded and accidents are still common due to the sheer number of ridesharing drivers and the time they spend on the road. If anyone is hurt in these vehicles as a passenger, they still have the right to bring a lawsuit and try to receive compensation for their injuries.
The risk of an accident while using a ridesharing service
One of the biggest risk factors that insurance companies calculate when coming up with rates is the total amount of miles driven and time the person will spend on the road. Ridesharing drivers can spend several hours behind the wheel during one shift, while people who only drive to get back and forth to work will spend much less total time on the road. This means that a ridesharing driver has a much greater chance of being involved in some kind of collision, and traffic data since ridesharing services have become popular backs up this point. The major ridesharing companies all have special high risk insurance policies to account for these differences.
What passengers should do if an accident happens
If a driver is involved in an accident during the course of a ride, the passenger should notify the ridesharing service and call the local police to conduct an investigation. This will formally document the incident and start the process for the company to notify their insurance carrier. It is also important for anyone who was injured to retain their own attorney. This is because the ridesharing company may simply try to settle the incident for a small amount of money or argue that they are not responsible because drivers are not standard employees rather than take any sufficient losses. However, the company can be held responsible just like anyone else who was driving negligently and caused a crash.
Compensation for the victim
While these ridesharing companies tend to have large insurance policies, the money paid out to the victim will tend to reflect their actual losses. This means someone who was seriously hurt is more likely to receive a large settlement than someone who has only minor injuries following the crash.
More information from a car accident lawyer
Eells and Tronvold Law Offices is a firm that handles accident cases for clients in Iowa. Their attorneys have years of relevant experience with getting clients settlements that cover their losses.
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