Texas Rideshare Car Accident Lawyers

Rideshare companies have revolutionized the way we travel. As of 2021, ridesharing services had facilitated 11 billion trips in 10 years, and public transportation use decreased by 6% in the same time period in the United States.

With a click of a button, we can order a private ride to virtually anywhere.

However, ridesharing has its faults, just like any other service. A 2018 study found that ridesharing contributed to a 2-3% increase in motor vehicle accident fatalities and fatal accidents. The study found that the main reason for this is the spike in the number of vehicles on roads due to the popularity of rideshare services. However, there are other dangers associated with rideshare companies that you may not have heard of.

Many rideshare companies were initially banned as unlicensed taxi companies.

Taxi cab companies in the United States are strictly regulated by city governments. Additionally, taxi drivers are employees of the taxi company, and traditional rules of employer liability apply as a result.

Rideshare companies are different.

Rideshare companies fall under a recently created category of “transportation network companies.” They don’t hire drivers as employees – instead, drivers are contracted and only covered when actively working.

On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be anything unusual about that. However, companies use this fact to attempt to avoid having to take responsibility when their drivers cause an accident. They often claim that they only facilitate fares and that they should not be responsible for wrongdoing or dangerous driving.

Furthermore, individual drivers rely on their own personal insurance policies, even though such policies rarely provide coverage for commercial accidents, as our rideshare accident attorney in San Antonio has shown in courtroom evidentiary exhibits countless times.

Call Shaw for a free case evaluation at 800-862-1260.

In Texas, rideshare vehicles (regardless of make and model) are considered commercial vehicles.

Commercial vehicles must be covered by commercial insurance policies – normal auto insurance will not cover a driver who was using their vehicle for work.

Without state or federal regulations to standardize the policies available under ride-share auto insurance, drivers and passengers are left with less legal precedent than is typically available in similar types of cases. These situations create insurance gaps that are having a profound impact on commercial insurance rates in other well-established areas of commercial trucking and transportation law.

Most importantly, when a company refuses to take responsibility for the reckless actions of their contracted employee, it leaves you with the immense financial burden of an accident that wasn’t your fault.

If you were in a rideshare accident as a passenger, pedestrian, motorcycle, or other vehicle, take these steps to protect your rights:

1. Check for Injuries – Asses yourself, your passengers, and the occupants of the other vehicle for injuries.
2. Call 9-1-1 – If anyone is injured or if damage to either vehicle exceeds $1,000, call the police immediately. It’s a good idea to call the police even if the accident doesn’t meet these requirements, as most insurance claims require a police report.
3. Collect Information – Get the driver’s name, address, phone number, license plate, and insurance.
4. Report the Accident – Uber and Lyft have a reporting system designed to initiate the claims process.
5. Get Evaluated by a Medical Professional – Even if you don’t think your injuries are severe, get evaluated anyway. Many injuries can show themselves later, especially head injuries.
6. Call Shaw – Commercial Vehicle liability is complicated, and rideshare companies will have teams of lawyers backing them up. Don’t fight alone!

If you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligence or recklessness of an Uber or Lyft driver, it is important to understand that you will be confronted with relatively complex legal issues.

While you can handle small claims on your own (though it’s never a bad idea to talk to an attorney about your case), rideshare accidents are different. Commercial vehicle laws will come into play, liability will likely be hotly disputed, and you’ll be facing a team of lawyers who are paid to protect the company from liability.

Our Uber accident attorneys understand the unique legal issues involved in rideshare accidents. As this emerging area of law continues to evolve, our UBER injury lawyers will continue to remain at the forefront of the latest legal developments.

You don’t have to fight big insurance companies alone. Call Shaw for your Uber/Lyft accident at 800-862-1260.

The Carabin Shaw team of San Antonio rideshare accident attorneys have more than 31 years of experience handling car and pedestrian accident cases, including cases against taxi, van, bus, and rideshare operators.

Our attorneys have an extensive understanding of public conveyance and transportation law. Our law firm has access to the best:

• Automobile accident reconstruction experts,
• Engineering experts,
• And professional investigators.

We do not always need to use each of these experts for every case, but our reputation for determining the facts of the crash scene, analyzing the areas of the law that apply to the situation, and arguing for greater amounts of compensation than insurance policies are usually prepared to pay gives us an edge that you won’t have on your own.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a negligent or reckless Lyft or Uber rideshare accident, you may be entitled to compensation for things like:

• Ambulance Costs,
• ER Treatment,
• Surgeries,
• Property Damage,
• Pain and Suffering,
• Missed Work,
• Loss of Earning Capacity,
• Trauma/PTSD,
• Wrongful Death,
• And More.

We’ll help you find out if you have a case for free.

Call Shaw at 800-862-1260 to schedule your free case evaluation. We will sit down with you at our offices or in your home, whichever is most convenient, to discuss the particulars of your case and determine what legal strategy would best serve your interests. No fees, no obligations, just expert legal advice. We look forward to serving you.