Depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, recovering compensation after an Uber or Lyft accident is entirely possible. Ultimately, it will be up to a civil court or an insurance claims adjuster to determine whether you qualify for financial compensation for your injuries.
An investigation may reveal that the liability rests with the rideshare company itself, individual drivers, product manufacturers, or a combination of these parties. In any case, if another party is found liable for the majority of your accident, you may be awarded damages to make up for your economic and non-economic losses.
Recoverable Damages
The compensation you may receive can be used to address different hardships you face in the aftermath of your accident. These can be short-term problems, like motor vehicle damage, or long-term issues, like permanent physical disabilities.
Other types of recoverable damages include:
- Various types of property damage
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation programs
- Loss of quality of life
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
If you are concerned about missing out on compensation for your injuries after a rideshare accident in Atlanta, a lawyer from our firm can help. We can help you document your injuries and calculate your overall case value.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
Sharing Responsibility for Your Rideshare Accident
Some victims worry they will not qualify for compensation after their rideshare accident because they were doing something negligent when the accident occurred. This is not necessarily the case.
For example, some people fail to wear seatbelts while riding short distances in an Uber. While this is undoubtedly dangerous behavior, contributing to your own injuries does not automatically disqualify you from receiving compensation.
Comparative Negligence
When seeking to determine liability in civil cases, Georgia refers to a legal concept known as “comparative negligence.” According to OCGA §51-12-33, you can still receive compensation for your injuries as long as you are no more than 50% liable for your accident.
For example, consider this hypothetical accident:
- Faulty brakes were responsible for 20% of the accident
- 70% of the accident was caused by the rideshare driver speeding
- 10% of your injuries were caused by your failure to wear a seatbelt
In this case, you can hold the other liable parties, the brake manufacturer and the rideshare driver, responsible for 90% of your damages.
How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Compensation
Keep in mind, any percentage of liability that falls on you will reflect in your financial compensation. Before the case is concluded, the court will reduce your settlement proportionate to your percentage of liability.
If you retain a rideshare accident lawyer in Atlanta, your attorney can help you identify all the contributing factors that led to your accident. From there, they can fight for your rights in civil court to help you receive a fair settlement.
Gathering Evidence After Your Uber or Lyft Accident
You may need to gather a wide variety of evidence to help you back up your version of events after a rideshare accident. Uber and Lyft are billion-dollar companies. They will not go down without a fight if you decide to file a lawsuit against them.
Fortunately, our rideshare accident lawyers can use several methods to gather evidence to prove your case, including:
- Seeking advice from professionals in the field of forensic analysis and accident reconstruction
- Documenting statements from eyewitnesses
- Gathering circumstantial evidence that determines when, where, and how the accident occurred
- Reviewing police reports from the responding officers
- Analyzing the laws that govern these types of accidents
- Gathering documents from the rideshare company and the employees involved in the accident
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Understanding the Time Limit on Filing Rideshare Accident Claims
When filing a lawsuit against a rideshare company, you are required to act within a specific timeframe. As described under OCGA §9-3-33, your rideshare accident case must be filed within two years of the accident. If you do not obey this deadline, your case may be dismissed by the court.
Along with the other services offered by our lawyers, we can help keep track of these deadlines while you focus on more important things.
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Rideshare Accident Lawyers Serving Victims in Atlanta
As many victims come to learn, rideshare accidents often involve a complex series of laws that can make it difficult to take legal action against the individuals who caused your accident. Our legal team at Kaine Law is here to help.
The bottom line is, you may be able to recover compensation after an Uber or Lyft accident. We will try our best to make the process as painless as possible for you and your loved ones.
Call Our Team Today to Learn More
To start learning more about your rights, contact a Kaine Law representative to get started with your free consultation.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
