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Fresno can be a challenge to navigate in the rush hours of morning and evening. There’s the traffic from people trying to get school or work and then there are dozens of extra vehicles all trying to provide rideshare services.

Drivers for rideshare companies like Uber offer affordable travel options for many around Fresno, but if you still use your own car you may have noticed all of these extra drivers looking at their Uber apps and not watching the road. The distraction of working behind the wheel can lead to careless driving and that can be a dangerous threat to every other motorist.

Help for Fresno Victims in Accidents Involving Uber

A collision caused by a careless Uber driver can change many lives in an instant.  The driver may hit another vehicle or multiple vehicles causing damage and severe injuries. The rideshare passenger who trusts Uber drivers to provide a safe journey may also be in jeopardy.

If you are the victim in a collision caused by a rideshare employee, you may wonder how to pay for your medical costs, and even monthly living expenses after injuries have kept you in the hospital and unable to work.  Can the at-fault driver be held accountable and be asked to cover the damages you’ve endured? Can Uber be counted on to provide compensation in these cases?

A local attorney with experience representing victims in accidents with rideshare and delivery companies can help you answer these questions. The attorneys with Fresno’s Maison Law will guide you through the process of filing a claim for damages and make sure every party that should be involved in helping you recover is held accountable.

California Uber Driver Accident Threat

Uber drivers face more distractions than most motorists during their long days behind the wheel. They cruise the city, doing a lot of glancing at their phones, waiting for their next customer. It’s all a dangerous mix of being at work and on the roads at the same time.

In the latest numbers from the California Highway Patrol, nearly 11,000 accidents with injuries were blamed on driver distraction in a single year.  118 distracted driving accidents resulted in a fatality. Handheld cellphones were a factor in 733 of those accidents. Handsfree cellphones were involved in 198 accidents.

Those numbers only reflect the accidents that could be determined to be the result of distracted driving.  Investigators can’t always tell when a motorist or a rideshare driver who caused an accident was distracted and the drivers often don’t admit to it.

Common Injuries in a Rideshare Accident

These accidents can change the course of life when serious injuries are involved. The goal is to return to normal life and function but recovery can take months and sometimes the effects are permanent.

These possible outcomes make it vital that the responsible driver and rideshare company are made to compensate the victim for hardships now and those expected in the future.

Here are some of the most common injuries seen by doctors after car accidents:

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries (including concussion symptoms)
  • Head Injuries & Skull Fractures
  • Neck & Thoracic Spine Injury (including whiplash)
  • Broken legs/arms
  • Fractured/Displaced Ribs
  • Chest Compressions
  • Internal Injuries/Bleeding
  • Airbag injuries

Uber Insurance Coverage in Accidents

Uber drivers will have their own insurance policies. If an uber driver causes a collision while they weren’t working and didn’t have their Uber App open, then any insurance claims after the accident will involve their own policies.

If drivers are on the clock with their app open then Uber does provide coverage. It varies according to what the driver is doing at the time of the accident.

In period one, the driver has the app open and is waiting to accept a customer who requests a ride. In this period, Uber may provide victims in an accident with a total injury liability of $100,000.

In period two or three, the driver has either accepted a customer and is on the way to the rider’s location or has the passenger in the car. In these two periods, victims in accidents can be provided with up to one million dollars in liability insurance and one million dollars in uninsured /under-insured motorist coverage. Uber’s coverage ends when the passenger gets out at his or her destination.

Uber, like any big corporation, will attempt to look for ways to avoid liability when its drivers cause accidents.  An attorney can help force Uber to accept blame in a collision. This can be done by checking over Uber’s hiring policies to see if background checks on the driver were completed correctly.  Pulling the employee’s past driving history can also help strengthen your case.

Contact a Fresno Auto Accident Lawyer

If an Uber driver landed you in an accident and left you with serious injuries, talk over your case with a local attorney. Uber is a nationwide company with a team of lawyers. They will try to diminish your case and pay you as little as possible for your physical, financial, and emotional hardships. Make sure you have someone on your side to make sure your future is provided for.

After an accident, contact an experienced Fresno car accident lawyer such as Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice, and personalized attention to detail their case deserves.

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