The Aftermath of a San Antonio Rideshare Assault: Legal Options for Victims of Physical Violence

Both drivers and passengers are the victims of rideshare assaults, and their injuries can generate large medical bills and other damages. The aftermath of a San Antonio rideshare assault often leaves victims confused about where to seek compensation for their losses. Hiring a lawyer to examine legal options in Texas ensures you get the compensation you deserve.

The San Antonio personal injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw understand the difficulties physical and sexual assault victims have. With decades of experience representing victims in Texas personal injury cases, our team is equipped to gather evidence and present your case without causing further harm. We understand the hardship reaches well beyond your physical injuries, which is why we offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so you don’t have to worry about legal fees while you’re grappling with the aftermath of your assault.

The damages from a rideshare assault in San Antonio may include:

• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages (past and future)
• Disability
• Medical bills (past and future)
• Punitive damages
• Loss of consortium (loss of relationship)

Each rideshare assault victim has unique damages, and assigning a dollar amount to damages is not always easy. Your San Antonio rideshare assault lawyer will present the details of your case in detail, so the judge or jury can decide how much to award in damages. They may determine noneconomic damages to be worth much more than the damages for which you have receipts.

In rideshare assaults, your personal auto insurance will not offer coverage for your assault, but it may if you are the driver. The assailant is the liable party in most cases, but the rideshare company may share in that liability due to gross negligence in hiring practices response times. Performing background checks prior to approving Uber and Lyft drivers is necessary to prevent criminals from using the app in a predatory manner. The 24/7 customer support and emergency app features must also work properly, or a victim could claim that the company was liable in-part for the Uber physical assault.

For example, Uber faces hundreds of lawsuits from passengers all over the U.S. claiming that they were sexually assaulted by their driver. While Uber says it is not responsible for crimes committed by their drivers because those drivers are independent contractors, the victims claim that Uber overlooked the actions of their drivers for years, which created a profit-driven culture as opposed to one that prioritized safety. This type of situation could cause an attorney to argue that Uber is liable for its drivers much like they would if the drivers were traditional employees.

Rideshare companies have enacted safety protocols to ensure that they mitigate their liability in the case of physical or sexual assault on their drivers’ vehicles. The San Antonio TX passenger assaulted by rideshare driver can do the following to make their trip safer in the future:

• Request that the passenger waits outside instead of outside, which could give the appearance that they’re looking for a rideshare vehicle
• Match license plate and San Antonio driver photo with the one on the app
• Ride in the backseat
• Share travel plans with friends or family
• Follow your instincts

A rideshare assault lawyer may argue that these actions are not enough to prevent all assaults, and the companies who neglect to perform background checks and respond to complaints have additional liability. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation can revoke a company’s permit to operate in their state if the company does not perform background checks.

Your rideshare assault attorney should be a personal injury lawyer with experience handling San Antonio, TX rideshare assault cases. This ensures that they understand the liability issues that can arise when seeking compensation.

At Carabin Shaw, our client reviews should make you feel more comfortable about hiring our legal team to get you through the process of a personal injury lawsuit. We provide a free case review and have English- AND Spanish-speaking staff available to answer your call 24/7. If you need legal help after a rideshare assault, call our toll-free number at 800-862-1260.

For more information:

• Uber
• TDI Texas
• TDLR