CHICAGO’S UBER AND LYFT ACCIDENT LAWYERS

by Jeffrey J. Kroll

Today, many people in Chicago and throughout Illinois prefer to use Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing services in lieu of other modes of transportation such as trains, buses, or taxicabs. However, the benefits of not driving and using rideshare services come with certain risks. Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare drivers do get into accidents often. The question one needs to ask is, “did the ridesharing services cause these collisions?”

Typically, rideshare operators are not considered direct employees of the rideshare company. Yet, at many of these rideshare companies, such as Uber and Lyft, there are large insurance policies that still may provide insurance coverage depending on the situation.

Often times, coverage is determined by the following:

• If the driver is logged in and has accepted a trip, and is on his way to the pickup location, the rideshare company will typically provide insurance coverage.
• If the rideshare operator is logged in but has not yet accepted a passenger, the rideshare company may still provide coverage.
• Often times, if the rideshare driver or any passengers are injured by another driver without insurance or inadequate insurance, the rideshare company may provide uninsured and/or underinsured coverage to their passengers.
• A rideshare passenger may still recover monetary damages against the rideshare driver and the rideshare company, even if the other driver shares responsibility for the collision.
• If the driver is not logged in to the ridesharing app, there most likely will be no coverage from the rideshare company. Thus, the driver’s personal insurance will provide coverage.

Ridesharing now attributes to a 2-3% increase in auto accident fatalities. Like many drivers, a ride share operator may be more likely to drive carelessly or while distracted. Many rideshare operators are not familiar with the areas they’re driving in and will be blindly searching for passengers, using navigation services, which would inevitably contribute to rideshare accidents. While rideshare drivers have limits of how many hours they can work per day, drivers do not always honor these limitations. Some drivers often work multiple ridesharing services. As such, extra hours and overwork can lead to fatigue driving, which ultimately impairs their judgement and motor skills.

Unfortunately, Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare drivers do strike others while operating their personal vehicles. These same operators also strike bicyclists, scooter operators and even pedestrians. If you were injured by an Uber, Lyft or rideshare operated car, you should immediately seek help from the experienced Chicago car accident lawyers at Kaveny + Kroll. The attorneys at Kaveny + Kroll understand and appreciate all of the latest developments with rideshare liability in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. If you were injured in a ridesharing accident, we can protect your rights and pursue all means of available compensation for you.