Need an Injury Lawyer for an Uber/Ridesharing Accident in Kentucky?
Have you heard great things about Uber or some other ridesharing company in terms of getting home safely? Uber, like many other ridesharing services, does not act exactly like a taxicab service but still gets you from one point to another for a fee, making them like a common carrier service in some ways. You want to keep yourself safe after a long night out drinking with friends or when your vehicle has let you sit alongside a highway, and so you call an Uber without a second thought. Unfortunately, due to the increase in accidents from many of these ridesharing companies, this gives you a lot more to think about as you work to protect your rights.
Taking a ridesharing service should be easy, but it can be a complicated matter if your driver is involved in an accident and, as a result, you end up sustaining injuries that you aren’t sure how to handle. Now you’re left in a difficult position as you wonder how you’re going to afford your medical bills or return to work. You wonder, is it possible to bring a claim against a ridesharing company? Is the driver or the company liable for my injuries? These are questions we can answer today, as well as the protections we can offer you.
Is a Driver an Employee or an Independent Contractor?
When it comes to ridesharing services, you may not be sure of the distinction between an employer or independent contractor. When you get into a vehicle with an Uber or another ridesharing driver, you might only think about getting safely from one place to another and nothing else. If you get into an accident, you might not be sure how you will afford to pay for things like bills, lost wages, and so much more. However, making the distinction between employee and independent contractor can answer the question on how you can bring a case and receive compensation during these trying times.
If your driver is considered to be an employee, you could be covered for damages under a doctrine known as “vicarious liability.” Vicarious liability holds an employer liable for the actions of their employees as long as the worker was working in the scope of employment when the accident took place. Employers are only permitted to hire the safest of drivers who will promise to uphold the duty of care and keep passengers safe from harm. However, sometimes employers tend to wash their hands of these accidents and claim that their driver is merely an independent contractor, which means that the driver makes their own terms and usually the company cannot be held liable for injuries in these accidents. This means that you would have to bring a claim against the insurance company of the driver or file a lawsuit in court depending on the circumstances of the case.
Uber, like many other ridesharing companies, has adopted a $1 million insurance policy that protects riders in their time of need. This can help you gain the compensation you deserve after your accident. However, in cases where somebody is paralyzed or suffers from other serious injuries that will affect them the rest of their lives, this policy may not give you enough compensation to care for you for the rest of your life. This is why it is important to have an attorney on your side because you never know what you could be facing.
Luckily, we are here for you in your time of need and will not let you down when it comes to the compensation you deserve. We want to help you every step of the way in your claim if you have been injured in a Kentucky ridesharing accident. Call us for more information on how we can play a role in your case.