If you were recently injured in a car accident in Orangeburg, South Carolina, involving an Uber driver, you might be confused about your legal rights and options. You might have several questions, including: Is the Uber driver automatically at fault? Does the $1 million insurance policy apply? How do you go about collecting compensation for your vehicle repairs, medical bills, and lost wages?
The legal team at Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. We have been fighting for our clients for almost three decades and have recovered over $90 million on their behalf. We have over 101 years of combined experience that we can use to fight for you, too. Contact us today at (803) 373-7593 for a free consultation with a knowledgeable Orangeburg Uber accident lawyer.
Why Do I Need an Orangeburg Uber Accident Lawyer
Uber accidents are unlike other types of motor vehicle accidents. Uber is considered a technology company that connects people needing rides with those willing to provide them, so they are not subject to the same regulations related to taxi companies. The company also hires independent contractors to insulate it from liability stemming from accidents. It can be very confusing trying to navigate the legal claim process.
An experienced Orangeburg personal injury attorney from our law firm can help with your case by:
- Talking through the accident with you and advising you of your legal rights and options
- Investigating the accident to identify all at-fault parties
- Handling the claim process on your behalf, including handling communications with Uber and insurance companies
- Gathering evidence to establish fault and your damages
- Preparing a demand letter that explains why the insured was at fault and how the accident has affected your life
- Negotiating with insurance companies for fair compensation
- Monitoring case deadlines and taking prompt legal action on your behalf
If you were injured in an Uber accident in South Carolina, contact the experienced legal team at Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers for a free case review.
How Common Are Uber Accidents?
Uber likes to characterize its platform as providing safe and reliable alternative transportation options, quoting that 99.9% of rides ended without any safety incident. Still, with the rideshare service responsible for over 1.8 billion trips a year, even 0.1% equates to 180,000 safety incidents every year. According to the company’s own data, 80 people died in Uber accidents in 2022. According to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the arrival of ridesharing services is associated with an increase of approximately three percent in motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents.
Types of Car Accidents Involving Uber Drivers
Motor vehicle accidents involving Uber drivers tend to take one of the following forms:
- Accidents involving passengers: Uber accidents may occur while the driver is transporting passengers when they collide with another vehicle or stationary object.
- Accidents involving other vehicles: You could be impacted if an Uber driver hits your vehicle.
- Accidents involving other road users: Uber accidents can also involve other road users, such as pedestrians or bicyclists who an Uber driver hits while not paying attention.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers can investigate your accident to determine who was at fault and what caused the crash.
What Factors Can Contribute to Uber Accidents?
Uber’s business model encourages drivers to take as many rides as possible within a shift to maximize their profits. This can create safety hazards caused by factors such as:
- Speeding to get as many rides in a shift as possible
- Distracted driving from alerts from the app for ride requests and constant instructions from navigational systems
- Driver fatigue when drivers work long hours or multiple gig jobs
- Running red lights or stop signs to complete rides as quickly as possible
- Dropping passengers off at unsafe areas where other motorists could hit them
An experienced Uber accident attorney can investigate your case and gather evidence to establish fault.
How Much Is My Uber Car Accident Case Worth?
Even if you’ve heard of Uber’s $1 million insurance policy, this doesn’t mean your claim will be worth that much–or even that that insurance coverage will apply. The potential value of your claim can depend on various factors, such as:
- When the accident occurred during the transaction
- Whether the Uber driver or another party was responsible for the auto accident
- The nature and severity of your injury
- The permanence of your injury
- Whether you were able to return to work after the accident
- The extent of your pain and suffering
- Whether you contributed to the accident
- The strength of the evidence available in your case
Let an experienced attorney evaluate your case to determine its value.
What Compensation Can I Recover In a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
South Carolina car accident victims can pursue compensation for the damages they sustained in a car accident, which might include economic and non-economic damages such as:
- Past and future medical expenses: You can seek compensation for emergency room bills, ambulance rides, surgeries, hospital stays, therapy expenses, medication, and other medical bills you incurred immediately after the accident. You can also pursue compensation for future anticipated medical expenses, such as costs for long-term care, future surgeries, ongoing rehabilitation, follow-up visits, and at-home medical equipment.
- Lost wages: You have the right to be compensated for the loss of income you experienced because of the accident. Future lost wages can be calculated based on the wages you earned before the accident and applied to the amount of time you will likely miss.
- Loss of earning capacity: You can also seek compensation for a reduction in your long-term earning capacity caused by the accident.
- Property damage: You can seek to have your vehicle repairs paid for. If the costs to repair your vehicle exceed its value, you can seek the replacement value of your vehicle.
- Pain and suffering: In addition to your financial losses, you also have the right to pursue compensation for your physical and mental pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress: Car accidents can lead to psychological injuries and emotional trauma. You can seek compensation to help pay for mental health counseling and to account for the emotional harm you suffered because of the crash.
- Lost enjoyment of life: Car accident injuries can prevent you from participating in daily activities and enjoying hobbies, negatively affecting your quality of life. An experienced attorney can seek fair compensation for these losses.
- Loss of consortium and companionship: Car accidents can also impact your relationships with loved ones. You can seek compensation for these adverse effects.
If you have suffered any of these damages due to another driver’s negligence, our experienced lawyers can pursue maximum compensation for your car accident claim.
Uber Insurance at Different Times During the Transaction
If the Uber driver is at fault for the accident, the insurance that applies will depend on when the accident occurred during the transaction, as follows:
- When the app is off: Uber drivers are treated like any other driver when they are not actively engaged in their rideshare work when the crash occurs. Their personal auto liability applies in these circumstances.
- The app is on, and the driver is waiting for a ride request: If the driver is logged onto the app but has not yet accepted a ride, Uber maintains liability insurance of $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage per accident.
- The driver has accepted a ride request: From the moment the rideshare driver accepts a ride request until the driver has dropped off the passenger, Uber maintains a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy that covers injuries to riders and third parties and property damage.
Speak with your attorney about what policy might apply to your accident.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for the Accident?
Because South Carolina is an at-fault state for car accidents, the party responsible for the accident is responsible for paying the damages their negligence caused. This applies whether the at-fault party is the Uber driver or someone else.
In some accidents, the accident victim may share some of the blame for the accident. Under South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence system, you can still recover compensation for accidents as long as they are not more than 50% responsible for the accident. However, your damages are reduced by their proportion of fault if you are able to recover.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in South Carolina?
The statute of limitations for filing a car accident lawsuit in South Carolina is three years. If you don’t file a lawsuit within the third anniversary of your auto accident, you can lose your right to recover compensation and accountability through the courts. Safeguard your right to financial recovery by contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer today.
Contact Our Orangeburg Uber Accidents Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you were injured because of an Uber driver’s negligence in South Carolina, Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers is here to help. Let us investigate your case, gather evidence to prove fault, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us today to arrange a free consultation with an Orangeburg Uber accident lawyer.
