Most Common Ways Uber and Lyft Drivers Cause Accidents

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have, in recent years, become a popular alternative to the traditional taxi, as passengers can request rides through a mobile application and know the price of their ride before getting into the vehicle. However, Uber and Lyft drivers are just as susceptible to causing motor vehicle accidents as any other driver, if not more so due to the demands on a rideshare driver’s attention and the hours that many drivers work. If you have been injured in an auto accident involving an Uber or Lyft or other rideshare vehicles, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for your losses. 

Common Causes of Rideshare Accidents

Unfortunately, Uber and Lyft drivers frequently engage in unsafe or reckless driving behaviors. Some of the most frequent ways that rideshare drivers cause accidents include:

• Speeding – Uber and Lyft drivers are incentivized to speed to reach passengers more quickly and transport them to their destination so that they can move on to the next fare (and potentially get a tip from a passenger grateful for a swift ride).
• Distracted driving – Rideshare drivers must frequently look at their phones to manage ride requests and navigate to passengers and their destinations. Drivers also frequently must interact with passengers in their vehicles. However, these behaviors mean that drivers spend even less time looking at the road. 
• Intoxicated driving – Unfortunately, rideshare drivers may turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with the stress and long hours of their job, or to help them stay awake at the end of a long shift or during early morning hours.
• Fatigued driving – In order to make sufficient income to meet their costs, rideshare drivers may end up working shifts of 10 or 12 hours or even more, often without taking breaks. This makes it more likely that a driver will become drowsy or fatigued behind the wheel.
• Inexperience – Uber and Lyft do not require their drivers to have any special training. Many drivers are new to the city in which they are driving. This can increase the risk that a driver gets lost or makes a mistake that causes a crash.
• Traffic offenses – In addition to speeding, rideshare drivers may intentionally or inadvertently engage in other violations of traffic laws, such as running red lights or stop signs, failing to yield the right of way, double parking, or reckless driving. 

Pursuing Compensation after a Lyft/Uber Accident

If you are injured in an accident caused by an Uber or Lyft driver, you may be entitled to pursue compensation from the rideshare company. By law, Uber and Lyft and their competitors are required to provide insurance coverage for their drivers while they are on duty. This coverage includes:

• If the driver is logged into the mobile application and awaiting a ride request: $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident of bodily injury liability coverage, and $25,000 of property damage liability coverage
• If the driver has accepted a ride request or is carrying a passenger: Combined liability coverage of at least $1.5 million.

Contact a Perth Amboy Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Uber/Lyft Accident Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to an Uber or Lyft accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at CourtLaw represent clients injured because of Uber/Lyft accidents in Hoboken, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, East Orange, and throughout New Jersey. Call (732) 442-5900 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 163 Market St., Perth Amboy, NJ 08861, as well as offices in New Brunswick, Roselle, East Orange, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Linden, Newark, Paterson, South Amboy, and Trenton.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.