After a car accident, there are certain steps you should take. If you are a passenger in an Uber or Lyft, then you might not feel comfortable stepping on the driver’s toes and doing certain things yourself. Remember that you are still the victim, especially if your driver caused the crash, and that there are steps you should take to protect yourself and advocate for yourself.
After a crash, always call 911 unless someone else has already done so. Request an ambulance if you or anyone else was injured, and get any medical care you need immediately. After that, there are some pieces of evidence you should collect if you are able to, and some steps to take to progress your claim.
For help, call our Austin car accident lawyers at Cap City Injury Attorneys at (512) 612-3110 for a free case assessment.
Do I Need to Call the Police or Does the Uber/Lyft Driver Handle That?
Especially if your Uber/Lyft driver caused a single-car crash, crashed into a parked car, or was the one to actually cause the accident, they might be unwilling to call 911 after the accident. The driver might try to tell you it’s normal to continue on after a crash, but you should never let that slide.
Always call 911 after an accident involving any injuries or significant property damage. Usually, the duty of reporting the accident is on the driver, not the passengers, so it is likely that either your driver or the other driver will make the call for you. Just make sure they request an ambulance too if there are injuries.
If the driver refuses to call the police or says they will make the call, but then they don’t take out their phone to do it now, feel free to take action yourself.
Getting Medical Care
If you are hurt and need to go to the hospital, do so with the ambulance crew. Sure, ambulances and emergency rooms are expensive, but it is best to be proactive, get your injuries taken care of, and get medical care reimbursed later as part of your injury case.
Do not delay in getting care, as it might hurt your case, make your injuries worse, or make it harder to prove your injuries were from this crash and not some later accident.
What Evidence Should I Collect?
The driver will primarily be the one to talk to the police about what happened and get their statements into a police report, but you can also work to collect your own evidence instead of relying on that process. This will help our Austin Uber and Lyft accident lawyers build your case later.
At the Scene
At the scene of the crash, you can collect the following evidence, plus anything else that you think might be helpful:
- The make, model, and license plate numbers of all vehicles involved
- The names, contact info, and insurance info of all drivers
- The names and contact info of any other passengers or witnesses
- Photos of the vehicle damage, accident scene, traffic lights, intersection, etc.
- Notes about the weather, lighting, and road conditions
- The name, badge number, and department name for the responding officer(s).
Afterwards
After you leave the scene of the accident, there is other evidence you can potentially collect as well. However, our lawyers can usually be the ones to do this for you.
- Security camera footage
- Any recordings from the Uber driver or other driver’s dash cam or other vehicle cameras
- Your medical records
- The police report.
Should I Talk to Uber’s Representatives?
Uber and Lyft both have representatives that they typically send to respond to crashes, often by contacting passengers and potentially offering them promotions or giving them instructions about claims. These representatives do not work for you.
Their goal is typically to get passengers to avoid suing and to keep Uber and Lyft clear of any liability, not to actually help you. Instead, call your lawyer and talk to them about your case. They can handle any further interactions with insurance representatives, Uber/Lyft representatives, the driver, etc.
Things Not to Say After an Uber/Lyft Crash
If you were a passenger in the Uber or Lyft, it would be very difficult to blame you for the accident. If you were driving another vehicle and you were hit by an Uber/Lyft car, then it is even more important that you avoid unnecessary disclosures or opinions, as many statements could be used against you.
It is possible that if you were not wearing a seat belt, then you could be blamed for making your injuries worse. Do not lie if asked specifically about your seat belt usage, but also do not go out of your way to bring up any negative facts that could hurt your case or be misinterpreted as negative.
All in all, stick to the facts. Just tell the officers and medical staff what happened, how you were injured, and what you saw before and after the accident. Our lawyers can handle any further issues as they arise.
When to Call a Lawyer
You should call a lawyer as soon as you can after an accident. You may spend the next few days in the hospital, and you can certainly wait until you are discharged to call us. However, we can also take calls from the hospital and get started researching your case quickly, especially if there is security footage that might be overwritten in that short time.
Should I Sue Uber or Lyft After My Accident?
You generally cannot sue Uber or Lyft directly for a crash. They do not treat their drivers as employees, which makes it hard to hold the company responsible. However, the companies do often pay for insurance to cover rideshare accidents, making it unnecessary to sue at all in many cases.
Uber and Lyft insurance companies are often willing to settle to avoid litigation, but making sure you know what your case is worth means talking to a lawyer first. Getting full payment often takes strategic negotiation and overwhelming evidence.
Call Our Austin Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers for Help Today
Call Cap City Injury Attorneys to speak with our Austin personal injury attorneys in a free case review: (512) 612-3110.