Injury Lawyer Serving Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield & Surrounding Areas in Colorado
You may be owed compensation if you were injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, if someone else's negligence is to blame. Because Uber, Lyft and other rideshares are not solely personal vehicles, and not taxi cabs or public transportation, the insurance issues can quickly become murky for someone who does not deal with liability on a daily basis.
Experienced Boulder accident attorney Chris Jeffress can determine who is liable for your injuries, and whether you are eligible to pursue maximum compensation above and beyond any current offers. For a free case review regarding your Uber or Lyft crash, please call us at 303-993-8685.
Rideshares in Boulder
Boulder nurtures innovation. Naturally, our city is a great match for ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft. These companies make it easy to order and pay for a ride through the mobile app, which means it's easy to get transportation at a competitive fare, no matter where you are in the city.
Ridesharing is easy, convenient and usually affordable outside of surge pricing periods. But what happens if you are in a motor vehicle accident involving one of these drivers? Are you owed any additional compensation for your injuries? Let attorney Chris Jeffress sort out the liability issues for you.
Colorado is the First State to Regulate Rideshares
Uber and Lyft are Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs. In 2014, Colorado became the first state to pass a law regulating TNCs. Most states have followed suit and passed similar laws in the years following.
Colorado's law sets certain requirements related to:
- Liability and other auto insurance
- Vehicle safety inspections
- Obtaining the criminal history and driving history of drivers
- Prohibiting drivers with certain criminal convictions from driving for any TNC
- Prohibiting drivers under 21 from driving for any TNC
Drivers are independent contractors, and not employees of Uber or Lyft.
"Don't These Rideshares Have Insurance That Will Pay For My Injuries?"
Not necessarily. The first step is to consider your status at the time of the crash:
- A passenger in the Uber or Lyft
- A motorist in another vehicle involved
- A pedestrian or bicyclist involved
Rely on attorney Chris Jeffress for answers. After reviewing the details of the crash, he will provide you with straight answers about your options. As someone who suffered a severe injury in a car accident that was not your fault, you deserve maximized compensation for all of the consequences of that injury, such as:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Ongoing treatment costs
- Loss of wages
- Pain and suffering
- Out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications
There is liability insurance coverage provided by Uber and Lyft when the driver is logged into the app during a prearranged ride. A prearranged ride is the period of time that starts when the driver accepts a ride request and ends when the passenger physically leaves the vehicle.
During the prearranged ride, the Uber or Lyft driver should be covered by the company's:
- $1 million of liability coverage per accident
- $1 million of uninsured/underinsured-motorist bodily coverage per incident
- Contingent comprehensive and collision insurance
If you were another motorist, or a bicyclist or pedestrian when the collision occurred, then this coverage may or may not extend to you and the damage caused. Consult with Mr. Jeffress for answers specific to your case.
When the driver is logged into the app but has not accepted any ride request, some Uber or Lyft coverage may be in play if a car accident is caused, but the coverage is usually less than that provided for the prearranged ride period.
When the driver is not logged into the app but in the car they use for ridesharing, their own personal insurance coverage applies, just like any other accident. It is noteworthy that Transportation Network Company drivers are required by Colorado law to carry the state minimum of liability insurance on their personal policy.
What To Do If You Are Injured in an Uber or Lyft Accident
Call Boulder Lyft and Uber accident attorney Chris Jeffress for a free case review, at 303-993-8685. Mr. Jeffress has been representing injury victims since 1994. He is personally driven by obtaining the best possible for results for people from our city as well as Longmont, Broomfield and areas across the Front Range and Northern Colorado.
