Being involved in an Uber accident can create confusion for the injured party. Individuals are under the impression that both the driver and the company are liable for damages, but this is not always necessarily true.
The material facts of the case can make a major difference regarding who is ultimately liable. Accidents resulting in minor to moderate injuries are typically the responsibility of the contracted driver and their auto insurance company unless the vehicle is self-driving and owned by the Uber company.
Drivers are all contracted workers that respond to pick-up messages triggered by the company software, and the company has gone to great lengths in attempting to insulate themselves in terms of liability up to a certain point.
This means that cases are often complicated when multiple vehicles are involved, and having an experienced car accident Lawyer in Las Vegas is vital in most situations for whole financial damage compensation.
Nevada Negligence Law
Auto accidents are governed by proportionate fault in Nevada, which means that there could be other negligent parties who will share the burden for financial damages resulting from accident injuries.
There could easily be multiple party liability in serious accidents, including the Uber company, depending on case factors. Injured passengers typically have no comparative fault percentage applied, so whole damages are usually available.
Driver Liability
Damages for injuries sustained in an Uber accident are first assigned to the actual Uber driver. The compensation will come first from their insurance provider up to the limit of the coverage. This can be problematic in a very serious accident producing significant long-term or fatal injuries, as Uber drivers are not required to carry the same amount of insurance protection as a standard taxi company.
In addition, there are only two auto insurance companies who will insure Uber drivers in Nevada, which can make it important to have an experienced accident attorney who knows what to expect from these insurance providers.
Understanding the Uber Company Insurance Policy
Uber claims that the company carries $1 million in insurance protection for their patrons. In total, this is a true statement. However, they also have the policy tiered in a manner that could significantly limit the amount of coverage available to injured riders or drivers, especially in serious injury cases.
In addition, they are only liable when the insurance protection of the driver is insufficient to cover total passenger injury claims. There are also limits on total accident protection, so cases involving multiple passengers could be problematic as well.
Never attempt handling an Uber accident claim personally because they can become complicated legal issues quickly. Always call an experienced personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas such as Steve Dixon Law for solid, results-driven representation.