While rideshare companies the likes of Uber and Lyft took a bit of a backseat during the pandemic, things are more normal now than they have been in two years. That means rideshare apps are being used more frequently than they have been in a while, which unfortunately puts other drivers at a greater risk of a collision.
Let’s hope no one gets injured in an accident caused by a rideshare driver, but unfortunately, it’s an inevitability. As these drivers zip around cities and towns at all hours of the day and night, their laser-focus on their earnings can undermine their focus on their surroundings.
A single lapse in judgment or a wink of sleep could cause a terrible collision – one that could seriously injure you. Should that occur, what should you do? Let’s discuss more below.
What Do I Do After a Rideshare Accident?
In the immediate aftermath of a rideshare accident, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you believe you or someone else might be injured. The body floods itself with endorphins during an event such as a car accident, which can dull our sensitivity to pain. You probably won’t need to call emergency responders for a simple fender-bender accident (which can still cause significant injury), but any more severe type of accident might necessitate an emergency response.
After medical emergencies are addressed, contact the police. If you called 9-1-1 to report the accident, chances are someone’s on their way. Anytime an accident involving an injury occurs, drivers are legally obligated to report it. That said, if you are involved in a fender-bender with a rideshare driver and aren’t sure if you’re hurt, contact the police on their non-emergency line and request an officer to write an accident report.
As soon as possible, document every detail of the accident. Some of the details you’ll want to record include the time, date, and place of the accident, who was involved in the accident and the rideshare company they drove for, whether or not they had passengers or were traveling to pick up passengers, photographs of the accident and immediate surroundings, photographs of visible injuries, a contemporaneous narrative of what you were doing when the accident occurred.
Contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You don’t have to do this immediately when you get home. In fact, it might even be best to wait a day or two and see if you notice new pain as the endorphins’ effect subsides. That said, don’t wait too long to seek an attorney’s assistance with your rideshare accident claim. Our attorneys at Orr Law Firm can provide the legal assistance necessary to help you field your claim and take any required legal action to recover damages you incurred because of a rideshare driver’s negligence.
For more information about how we can help, contact Orr Law Firm online now.