Uber Accident Attorney Los Angeles

(Article updated on July 25 2023)

Derek Pakiz at the Reeves Law Group is a respected Los Angeles Uber and rideshare accident attorney. His primary emphasis is on cases involving collisions involving Uber vehicles, incidents with pedestrians, accidents at crosswalks, and a wide range of related events.

Rideshare accident attorney Derek is arguably one of California’s top authorities in injury cases when it comes to car and truck accidents, thanks to his extensive experience and considering that he is only one in more than 250,000 attorneys in California to be certified in both Civil Trial and Truck Accident law.

If you’ve sustained injuries in an Uber accident, leverage Derek’s personal injury experience and call The Reeves Law Group. Contact us on (800) 644-8000 for a complimentary, confidential consultation. Our mission is to protect your rights and secure the rightful compensation you deserve after an incident in or related to a rideshare company.

Can you afford our services? Yes! Our Uber accident law firm provides free contingency fee counsel (you pay no fee until we win) on the legal rights and obligations associated with rideshare accidents. We possess extensive and specialized expertise in negotiating with Uber and other large rideshare companies’ insurance. When required, we are exceptionally skilled at filing lawsuits and proceeding to court to reclaim damages for our clients. Our ultimate goal is to succeed in your case and ensure you receive fair compensation.

Get in touch with our experienced Uber accident law firm right away!

About our Firm: As a trusted advocate for victims of uber and rideshare accidents, the expertise of the Reeves Law Group extends far beyond traditional accident cases. We specialize in representing victims of Uber accidents (both passengers as well as pedestrians), armed with an intricate understanding of California traffic laws and Uber’s insurance policies.

Our team is well-versed in negotiating settlements with large, well-financed insurance and rideshare companies, and we aren’t afraid to file lawsuits against Uber or other responsible parties if necessary.

White Uber car speeding in Los Angeles

With over $250,000,000 in case results for our clients, our track record speaks for itself. We pride ourselves on our comprehensive approach to each case, thoroughly investigating accident causes, calculating total damages for compensation claims, and challenging any low-ball offers from insurance companies.

The Reeves Law Group prioritizes client communication, guiding victims through the complex legal process while providing regular updates about their case. We work closely with medical professionals to understand the full extent of our clients’ injuries and to ensure that their needs are addressed in any settlement or verdict.

For a Free Consultation
Call (800) 644-8000

If you are a victim of an Uber accident, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.

additional information about our firm

The Reeves Law Group have been fighting well-financed rideshare companies such as Uber on the behalf of riders/accident victims for many years (since the beginning of Uber actually). Our company is 35 years old and we have successfully recovered over $250 Million dollars in compensation for our clients and have been a part of many successful attorney-client relationships.

With The Reeves Law Group, you’re not just hiring an Uber accident lawyer – you’re partnering with a dedicated advocate who will stand by your side, fighting for your rights every step of the way. Trust us with your case, “ride along with us” and let our 35 years of experience work for you.

Lead trial lawyer at The Reeves Law Group, Derek Pakiz, was featured in Newsweek’s 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys. He is recognized by The National Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States.

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[Page updated: 02-14-2022]

For a Free Consultation Call (800) 644-8000

What Should I Do After Being in An Uber Accident?

Regardless of the circumstances, if you are a party that was involved in an accident with an Uber vehicle, it is important to remember the following steps:

Call The Police and File a Police Report

Immediately after a collision with an Uber driver, call the police and file a police report. As with any motor vehicle accident, collect evidence of the scene, like photographs. Take photos if and when it is safe to do so. With this evidence, it will be easier for your Uber accident lawyer to determine liability and get you the compensation you deserve with detailed information pertaining to your auto accident.

Seek Medical Attention

Even if you don’t think you’re injured, or showing signs of injury, it is important to get medical care immediately after getting into an Uber accident. Some injuries may not be present now, but if you have suffered any internal injuries, a doctor can identify your injuries and treat you right away. Seeing a doctor can also establish the association between the Uber accident and your injuries, making a stronger case against the at-fault driver and the rideshare company.

you may want to Contact A Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Can you sue Uber if you get in an accident? Most likely yes. Passengers injured in an accident with an Uber should contact a local personal injury attorney before filing a rideshare accident claim or speaking to an insurance company.

Do not negotiate or accept any offers! An experienced personal injury lawyer’s role is to provide professional counsel to the accident victims and handle some or all of the communication with the car insurance companies and rideshare companies.

Litigating a personal injury lawsuit is not something that most citizens would find easy or fruitful, even if they have legal experience and the psychology and reasoning that goes into determining who the at-fault party is and providing persuasive evidence to win the case.

Remember that accidents are commonplace for an insurance company, and they investigate many claims made against them. Certain things you do or say can result in them challenging your insurance claim, whether or not they are true. These could include posting pictures on social media, admitting in a recorded statement that you were responsible for the accident or that your injuries were pre-existing, among other things.

If you are a passenger who has suffered a serious injury due to the negligence of an Uber driver, contact The Reeves Law Group for a free case evaluation. Our law firm works on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay fees unless we win your case.

What is Rideshare?

Ridesharing is a one-way transportation service that can be arranged on short notice through a smartphone app. Rideshare drivers are typically contractors. Uber and Lyft are currently the two biggest rideshare companies that people use in Los Angeles and throughout California. Uber Drivers are Contractors Not Employees According to the NLRB.

Some taxi companies also have apps and provide a similar chauffeur service, but in most parts of the US, they aren’t well known and not as popular with passengers. Taxicab companies’ business operating expenses are typically higher and they have less funding than Uber therefore their fares are usually higher.

What is Uber?

Uber is an app where a passenger can request a ride from a nearby car or truck driver for hire. The Uber app will give you an estimated time of arrival when a Uber driver accepts your ride request and then heads to your pickup location.

How Common Are Uber Accidents?

In 2019, Uber released a safety report. This report revealed 49 fatalities in 2017, and that number increased to 58 in 2018, making it a total of 107 deaths linked to Uber between those two years. 65% of those deaths resulted from collisions between Uber vehicles and other motor vehicles. 31% involved collisions between pedestrians or bicyclists and Uber drivers. As of today, Lyft has not released a safety report.

The types of cars involved in these rideshare accidents are broad as you would imagine, including common automotive makes and models most commonly used as Uber vehicles in the US (think Toyota Prius, Nissan Sentra, Chevrolet Tahoe), as well as the other 3rd vehicles that are involved in which can range from small and potentially unsafe cars (Hyundai i40, Chevrolet Spark, Audi A4) to large trucks and SUVs (Ford Explorer, Bentley Continental GT, Tesla Model X).

The Uber Driver and Insurance Company

As you can imagine, both rideshare companies provide commercial insurance coverage for their drivers which is designed to cover Uber drivers and delivery persons for liability to 3rd parties, for bodily injury and property damage. This also means that if you are an Uber driver and you get in an accident, your car insurance (such as your personal Geico or State Farm insurance) won’t go up because Uber’s insurance on behalf of Uber drivers will kick in. You also likely don’t need special insurance beyond what they require you to have (such as liability coverage) for your own vehicle.

What is Lyft?

Much like Uber, Lyft is a ridesharing company that pairs up individuals with drivers through the Lyft app at a moment’s notice. The Lyft driver will then pick up the passenger, or passengers, and drive them to their end destination. Sometimes the same Lyft drivers will be simultaneously logged into the Uber app.

If you are a passenger who has been hurt in an Uber or Lyft accident, a Lyft accident lawyer can help you get compensation for your injuries.

What is Duty of Care?

If you’re unfamiliar with the term duty of reasonable care simply means that Uber and Lyft drivers are required by California law to adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing activities that could foreseeably harm others (such as not driving recklessly, not falling asleep, being alert of other vehicles and pedestrians, among other standards). Your personal injury attorney will determine if the defendant (negligent Uber driver) was not exercising reasonable care when the accident occurred, and will attempt to provide proof of the driver’s negligence.

How Much money is My Uber Accident Case Worth?

The monetary (Dollar) value of vehicle accident cases involving Uber varies on the specifics of your case and how serious your injuries are. It is not a question that can be easily answered without knowing the details of your case. To find out specifically how much your case is worth, contact us today for a free and friendly consultation.

What Compensation or Payment Can I Receive For an uber Accident?

After an accident with an Uber vehicle, you may file a personal injury claim and recover compensation (also known as a settlement) for:

• Medical bills and health care expenditures
• Costs of rehabilitation/healing/recovery process
• Property Damage
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of Wages
• Life-Care
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life
• Death of a Loved One (or wrongful death)

Do I Have to Go to Court If I Sue uber?

Most car accident cases don’t have to go to court because they are settled prior to trial, or even before the personal injury lawsuit is finalized (meaning you likely won’t ever have to speak with a judge). This is especially important for clients that are injured or unable to attend due to a disability). Negotiations will take place between your rideshare accident attorney and the defendants’ attorney, and while they can be lengthy, both parties generally tend to avoid going to trial and prefer achieving a legal result via negotiations.

What are insurance Policy Limits for Uber?

In regard to the Uber Insurance Policy Caps, below are the specifics:

Offline:

In circumstances where the driver is not engaged with the Uber application, denoted as being completely offline, at the time of an accident, the associated liabilities and damages from such an incident would solely fall within the purview of their personal automobile insurance coverage.

Period 1

The initial stage, designated as Period 1, covers the time duration wherein the Uber driver has the application activated but is not engaged in the process of retrieving a passenger nor accommodating a passenger within their vehicle.

The insurance policy stipulations during Period 1 are as follows:

• A liability coverage for bodily injury amounting to $50,000 per individual involved in the mishap.
• A total of $100,000 liability coverage for bodily injuries per occurrence of an accident.
• A liability coverage amounting to $30,000 for any property damage arising from each incident.
• Uber provides $200,000 in additional liability insurance in Period 1

Period 2 and 3

• Upon acceptance of a ride request, the Uber driver transitions into Period 2 and subsequently, with the acquisition of a passenger, enters Period 3.

Throughout the duration of both Periods 2 and 3, Uber endows drivers with:

• A commercial auto insurance coverage, capped at $1 million.
• An uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, also extending up to $1 million.

In the scenario where the driver was not utilizing the application during the incident, it is incumbent upon the driver’s personal auto insurance to absorb the costs resultant from the accident.

what is the best way to Find A Rideshare (Uber) lawyer Near Me?

Asking friends and family for referrals, as well as looking online for highly-regarded attorneys is the tried and true method. Avvo, Yelp and Google reviews are excellent sources.

It’s never good to see a family member or friend in pain, but you may learn from their experience if they had an attorney they were happy with, or if they weren’t!

A good accident lawyer is worth their weight in Gold, and can help individuals who are victims of car accidents involving rideshare companie like Uber with their personal injury claims, but they can also help families who have suffered the death of a loved one in a collision file a wrongful death claim.

How Do You Contact Uber About an Accident?

You likely don’t need to communicate directly with Uber or with their insurance provider. Your attorney will contact the at-fault party and their insurance company on your behalf, and recover financial compensation.

Our law offices have been helping victims of Uber accidents in Los Angeles, and throughout Southern California for almost four decades. Contact an experienced Los Angeles Uber accident lawyer at The Reeves Law Group to review your case today.

[Written by Derek Pakiz. Article updated on 2023-07-25]