Experienced and Trusted Ridesharing Accident Law Firm

El Cajon Ridesharing Accident Lawyers

Hurt in a Ridesharing Accident in El Cajon?

Ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue to increase in popularity around the country and in California. It can be simple and efficient to order a one-time ride, pay a service fee, and be on your way, except when it is neither simple nor efficient because your ride involved a car accident. Like any other car accidents, El Cajon ride-share accidents can cause serious injuries or even death, but unlike other car accidents, the question of who is responsible for injuries and damages caused by a ride-share driver’s fault is often disputed and complicated.

Rideshare Accidents and Insurance Issues

Ride-share companies often classify their drivers as independent contractors, which allow the companies to limit their insurance liability coverage to very specific circumstances. Circumstances that are important when ride-share companies determine whether or not their insurance covers injured parties include the following:

• Was the driver logged into the ride-share app?
• Had the driver accepted a job when the accident occurred?
• Was the driver carrying a passenger at the time of the accident?
• Was the injury party a ride-share passenger?
• Was the injured party an unrelated vehicle occupant, pedestrian, or bicyclist who happened to be sharing the road with the ride-share car?
• Is the ride-share driver’s insurance liability coverage enough to cover the injuries and damages sustained by the injured party?

Ride-share companies typically require their drivers to maintain an insurance policy, but a driver’s insurance company may refuse coverage for a driver that is operating his or her vehicle for pay. And what happens when a driver lets his or her insurance lapse unbeknownst to the ride-share company? Insurance coverage and denials are complicated in ride-share accidents.

Recently, The Supreme Court of California found that a document delivery company’s drivers who were classified by the company as independent contractors were in fact, company employees and not independent contractors. This case could potentially affect the employment status of ride-sharing drivers and in turn, affect who is liable for your accident injuries and whose insurance company will pay. If you have been injured in a ride-sharing accident, contact El Cajon car accident attorney, Eugene G. Bruno, who will be your advocate when insurance companies and ride-sharing companies seem to be working against you.

Negligent Hiring Practices By Rideshare Companies

Additional liability issues in ride-sharing accident cases include possible ride-sharing company’s negligent hiring. Our ride-sharing experts will look into things like the ride-share driver’s driving record for accident history, speeding violations, impaired driving history, and other evidence of patterned dangerous or negligent driving. Ride-share companies may run background checks prior to hiring their drivers, but did they do enough in your case to ensure that your driver was not a danger to you and others on the road?

Speak With an El Cajon Ridesharing Accident Attorney

If you were injured in a car accident involving a ride-share vehicle, contact our El Cajon ride-sharing accident attorneys at Eugene Bruno & Associates at 1-888-BRUNO-88 (1-888-278-6688) for a consultation. Our experienced ride-share accident team will review the facts of your case and develop a legal strategy to see that you are fully compensated for your injuries.