San Antonio Ridesharing Lawyers

Ridesharing vehicles make it much easier to make it to your destination in San Antonio. Whether you need a ride to The Esquire Tavern so you can drink safely or because you do not want to take your car to San Antonio International, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft offer an effective way to get you to your destination.

Unfortunately, not all those rides end as safely as you might hope.

Did you suffer injuries in a ridesharing accident? If you need to file a San Antonio ridesharing claim, an attorney can help. Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers at 210-225-0909 as soon as possible.

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Living With the Aftermath of Ridesharing Injuries in San Antonio

Ridesharing accidents can cause the same severe injuries as any other type of car accident. As a passenger in the vehicle, you have no chance to help avoid the accident or decrease your risk of injury.

Victims may suffer injuries like:

  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Amputations
  • Burns
  • Broken bones
  • Soft tissue damage

The aftermath of those injuries can cause substantial challenges, many of which can impact every area of your life. For example, suppose you suffer a traumatic brain injury in a ridesharing accident—you may find you can’t work for weeks or even months after the accident due to challenges with focus, concentration, and emotional regulation. Victims with back and neck injuries may find themselves experiencing severe, ongoing pain. As your medical bills continue to mount, you may wonder what comes next. How can you get compensation for your injuries? Contact an attorney as soon after your accident as possible to learn more about your legal rights.

What You Need to Know About Ridesharing Accident Claims in San Antonio

You suffered serious injuries in a ridesharing accident in San Antonio. Working closely with an attorney can help guide you through filing a San Antonio ridesharing claim and give you a better idea of what to expect. Contact an attorney as soon after your accident as possible to learn more about your rights.

Who Bears Liability for a San Antonio Ridesharing Accident?

The party that bears liability for a ridesharing accident will depend on who caused the accident: the rideshare driver or another driver. As a passenger in the rideshare vehicle, you likely bear no liability for the accident. In addition to the driver that caused the accident, however, outside factors may influence your accident.

These may include:

  • The vehicle manufacturer, when a vehicle fault or mechanical error causes the accident
  • A mechanic that recently worked on the vehicle
  • The driver’s employer, in an accident with another party on the clock at the time of the accident

Uber and Lyft classify their drivers as contractors, not as employees. Most of the time, ridesharing services do not directly bear liability for their drivers. They do not set the drivers’ hours, require them to work in dangerous conditions, or have rules that allow them to work while intoxicated. Uber and Lyft also dictate the types of vehicles their drivers can operate, including the year of the vehicle and, therefore, its safety features.

Nevertheless, both Uber and Lyft insure their drivers with policies that may pay up to $1 million in damages for an accident caused by one of those drivers. Even if the Uber or Lyft driver did not cause the accident, you may still receive coverage through that policy if the party that caused your accident does not carry adequate insurance to cover your injuries.

How Much Compensation Can You Expect After a San Antonio Ridesharing Accident?

Following a San Antonio ridesharing accident, many people wonder about the compensation they can receive.

While Uber and Lyft both offer as much as $1 million in insurance coverage, how much compensation you receive will depend on:

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  • The severity of your medical expenses. If you suffered serious injuries, including spinal cord injuries or amputation, you may have high, ongoing medical expenses related to your injuries. These medical expenses will form the foundation of your ridesharing accident claim. Talk to your attorney about how to calculate and include all medical expenses from your accident: ambulance transport, emergency room treatment, all procedures needed to treat your injuries, and even the therapy you may need to recover strength and mobility following your accident.
  • The time you miss at work. Many injuries prevent accident victims from returning to work immediately after the accident. For example, if you suffered amputation, you may need time to learn how to cope with the missing limb before you can go back to even a desk job. If you suffered even broken bones, you may need time to heal before you can go back. Those lost wages may add up substantially over time, but you can seek compensation for that financial loss as you file your San Antonio ridesharing claim.
  • Your pain and suffering. In addition to your other expenses, you may have extreme emotional losses or physical pain related to your accident. For example, many accident victims feel emotionally isolated by their injuries. Talk to your attorney about how to include this element of your San Antonio ridesharing claim, including how the accident affected you, specifically.

San Antonio Ridesharing FAQs

If you have questions about your specific claim, consult the experienced attorneys at George Salinas Injury Lawyers to learn more about your specific rights and how the circumstances that led to your San Antonio ridesharing accident can impact your claim. If you have general questions, take a look at the FAQ below.

After a San Antonio ridesharing accident, you may get a call from the insurance company that covers Uber or Lyft, or the liable driver, shortly after the accident. Do not accept that offer until you have a chance to talk to an attorney. Often, insurance companies will work to minimize their financial liability as much as possible, rather than acting in the best interests of a victim who suffered serious injuries in an accident.

An attorney can give you a better understanding of how much compensation you deserve, when to accept a settlement offer, and when to continue negotiating with the insurance company, if needed.

You, as the victim of the accident, need to make arrangements to pay for your own medical bills. A San Antonio ridesharing claim can help you pursue much-needed compensation that will make it easier for you to manage your medical bills. Still, you may not get that compensation until months after the accident, especially if you suffer severe injuries.

Talk to your care providers to learn about your options for payment, or ask us to do that for you. Often, especially in the case of serious injuries that will require long-term care, your health insurance will provide the most valuable buffer. Some hospitals and medical care providers will also offer decreased payments based on your income and ability to pay. You can also have your attorney put together a letter of protection that will establish your intent to pay once you have compensation for your accident in hand.

If you suffer injuries in a ridesharing accident, report the accident immediately. Call 911 to summon an ambulance to the scene if you believe that you suffered serious injuries. Even if you think you have only minor injuries, stop by the emergency room or an urgent care center for a quick review of your injuries. If you do not seek medical care, you may have a harder time proving exactly when your accident occurred.

Prompt medical attention can also help identify all of your injuries and ensure that you receive the care you need to help heal as much as possible following your injuries. Your adrenaline from the accident may conceal some injuries, including severe injuries, until hours or days after the accident, but prompt medical attention can help prevent you from missing valuable treatment windows.

If you suffered serious injuries in the accident, contact an attorney as soon after the accident as possible to learn more about your right to compensation.

If another driver caused the accident, you will start by pursuing compensation through that driver’s insurance company. In many cases, however, especially if you suffered serious injuries, that compensation may prove inadequate to cover your expenses. You may decide to pursue compensation through the rideshare driver’s insurance, which may provide you with additional compensation and make it easier for you to handle the bills associated with your accident. Consult an attorney to learn more about your right to compensation after a ridesharing accident and how to go about pursuing it if needed.

Rideshare Accident in San Antonio

Yes. Even if you have a relatively straightforward injury claim, you may need to have an attorney on your side. Often, despite the large insurance policies carried by Uber and Lyft drivers, you may have trouble getting the full compensation you deserve after an accident. An attorney can make sure that you fully understand your rights, collect evidence related to the accident that will help prove who caused the accident and what compensation you deserve, and even fight for you if needed.

Most of the time, you will not need to go to court to settle your claim. Insurance companies usually try to avoid going to court if at all possible, since an extended court battle simply adds to the legal expenses associated with the claim. However, in some cases, you may need to make an appearance in court to reach a fair resolution to your ridesharing accident claim. Having an attorney on your side can provide vital support if you do need to go to court.

Once a driver turns on his app and indicates his availability, especially while he travels to pick up a passenger, he usually has coverage through at least some level of insurance provided by the ridesharing company. Most ridesharing drivers must also carry additional insurance policies on their vehicles to account for the additional hours they spend behind the wheel. Talk to a lawyer about how to file compensation against a ridesharing driver who did not have a passenger at the time of the accident.

If another driver caused your injuries while you worked as an Uber or Lyft driver, you can file for compensation through that driver’s insurance company. Regardless of who caused the accident, both Uber and Lyft do provide some insurance support that can provide vitally needed financial assistance after an accident. Contact an attorney to learn more about your legal right to compensation following an accident as an Uber or Lyft driver.

Do You Need a San Antonio Ridesharing Attorney?

If you suffered injuries in a ridesharing accident, you need an experienced attorney to help you seek the compensation you deserve for your injuries and your other losses. An attorney can help you understand your full right to compensation, evaluate your claim and collect evidence related to your accident, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf: all services that can ultimately improve the outcome of your claim and increase your odds of getting the compensation you deserve. Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers today at 210-225-0909 to learn more about your legal rights.

George Salinas Injury Lawyers, PLLC
6243 W I-10 Ste. 955, San Antonio, TX 78201
210-225-0909

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“I must say my overall experience with George was great. No matter what issues I had he went above and beyond for our family..It’s hard to find a lawyer you trust but I’m going to say he has definitely changed my mind .I will always be greatful for his representation and his compassion for our case. Please don’t hesitate to have him by your side. His paralegal is very involved as well..Keep up the good work.”

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November 2019

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