Uber Accident Attorney Explains Why You May Be Entitled To Significant Compensation For Your Injury

For several years after Uber and Lyft commenced operations the companies chose not to carry insurance coverage for their drivers. Furthermore, Uber and Lyft were not governed by basic safety regulations applicable to other types of paid transportation such as taxis, and often had user agreements that severely limited the legal rights of consumers in the event of an Uber accident or Lyft crash.

Uber and Lyft asserted that they could only be liable for an injury caused by the rideshare driver if a passenger was in the car.  Thus,Uber and Lyft claimed they had no responsibility for any traffic collision caused by a rideshare driver if the driver was between rides, on his or her way to a ride, or driving around waiting to be hailed to pick up a passenger.

Under California law, a motorist is required to have only $15,000 in insurance coverage for causing the death or injury to a person. Further, many car insurance policies had exclusions for drivers engaged in commercial activity.

As President of the Consumer Attorneys of California, attorney Chris Dolan advocated that California regulators impose insurance and safety regulations on Uber, Lyft and other rideshare companies.

Then, on New Year’s Eve 2013, Sophia Liu was struck and killed by an Uber driver in San Francisco. Sophia was walking in a cross walk with her mother and not seen by the Uber driver who was looking at the Uber app on his cellphone looking to find his next ride.

The Sophia Liu Uber wrongful death lawsuit played a central role in shaping the debate over whether rideshare companies bore responsibility for injuries and deaths caused by  their drivers.

As Chris explained to the New York Times at the time the Sophia Liu lawsuit was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, “Uber’s claims that they are not responsible for injuries caused by Uber drivers who are logged on to the system but not carrying a fare flies in the face of hundreds of years of law. New technology does not eliminate well-established legal principles.”

Chris and Huan Kuang, Sophia’s mother, testified in Sacramento before the Legislature advocating in support of legislation that created a new standard in insurance coverage by Uber and Lyft.

The lobbying effort was successful: Under California law, Uber and Lyft are required to carry $1 million in coverage for death, personal injury, or property damage caused by their drivers.  The law also requires Uber and Lyft to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for their drivers and passengers. This means even if another driver caused the accident and he or she fled the scene or lacks insurance, Uber or Lyft is obligated to cover the damages you suffered.

Why Trust Your Uber Accident Lawsuit With The Dolan Law Firm

The Dolan Law Firm is one of the most experienced and successful law firms in the nation for representing persons injured in an Uber accident or Lyft crash. Our pioneering work in the first lawsuit against Uber for the wrongful death of a pedestrian led to the adoption of legislation in California and other states requiring Uber and Lyft to have significant insurance coverage for persons injured by their drivers.

Today, our Lyft and Uber accident lawyers are litigating multiple cases on behalf of passengers, other car drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians gravely injured.

Specifically, we offer our Lyft crash and Uber accident clients the following advantages:

• We are relentless and principled advocates for our clients. We offer each client individual superior legal representation backed by substantial financial and technological resources that no individual attorney or small law firm can provide;
• We thoroughly investigate each case and have access to the leading accident reconstruction and biomechanics experts for cases involving brain, spine, neck and back injuries;
• We are known for taking challenging and complicated cases to trial and prevailing. As a result, we often obtain recoveries far above industry averages, including some of the largest verdicts and settlements ever in individual injury lawsuits in California;
• We will review your claim for free and with no obligation on your part. We represent our clients on a contingent fee basis, meaning we only receive a fee if we win. We do not send any bills to clients for the time we spend on their case; and
• Chris Dolan, our founder and lead trial attorney, personally supervises all serious injury cases our firm prosecutes. Chris has been repeatedly selected by multiple publications as one of the top trial lawyers in California.

Contact An Uber Accident Lawyer At The Dolan Law Firm

If you were injured in an Uber accident or Lyft crash in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego or elsewhere in California and whether or not the rideshare driver was at fault, an Uber accident attorney at our firm can assist you in obtaining the full compensation you are entitled to under the law. Please call us today at 415-636-8160 or complete our online contact form. Again, we represent clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and across Northern, Central and Southern California.