Huntington Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer

Skilled Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers Serving Huntington, NY

With all that Huntington has to offer for nightlife options, it’s no wonder many people are choosing to utilize ride-hiring services such as Uber and Lyft to get to and from their favorite spots. But, with all that traffic, there are bound to be car crashes. Furthermore, if you were in an accident while a passenger or operator of an Uber or Lyft ride, you may not know your rights. Palermo Law is a Huntington Uber and Lyft accident law firm that can help explain your rights and help you access insurance benefits that you may not even know that you have. Moreover, in many instances, our Huntington Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer may even be able to get you compensation for injuries suffered in a ride-sharing incident.

No Fault Benefits Are Available For Accidents

No-fault is a form of insurance that pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses following a motor vehicle crash. When you are either a passenger or operator of an Uber vehicle or a Lyft vehicle, it will always be that company’s no-fault insurance company that will be responsible for paying those incident-related bills and lost wages. However, to access those benefits, you will need to file a no-fault application within 30 days of your car wreck. This is not always an easy task as you likely will not know which insurance carrier your ride-sharing company uses. Furthermore, the application may require information that you are not familiar with.

At Palermo Law, we always offer a free consultation to explain all of the benefits available to you from no-fault and will even complete and file that application free of charge for all clients. This way, you don’t have to worry about insurance company red tape and can concentrate on your medical treatment and getting back to your life.

Compensation following an Uber or Lyft Accident

Everyone that is injured in New York State is eligible for no-fault benefits no matter who was at fault for the crash and no matter how serious your injuries are. But you are only eligible to receive compensation above and beyond what no-fault covers if it can be established that someone else is either entirely or partially liable for your accident and that you have suffered a serious injury from the accident.

New York follows the law of comparative negligence. That means that fault is apportioned between the drivers based upon how the accident occurred. A driver involved in a motor vehicle crash can only receive compensation for the other driver’s proportionate share of fault. For example, if the other driver is 100% responsible, you can collect 100% of your damages. But if the other driver is only 50% at fault, your recovery will be reduced by 50%. A passenger can always recover 100% of their damages because they can never be responsible for a car crash.

The second element that you must establish to recover compensation above what no-fault pays is a serious injury. Sprains and strains are not considered serious. Injuries such as death, disfigurement, dismemberment, and fractures are considered serious. Soft tissue injuries can also meet the threshold for serious injury under certain circumstances.

Once it can be established that you suffered a serious injury, the only thing left to determine is the amount of compensation that you are entitled to receive. There are two types of compensation, economic and non-economic compensation. The more serious your injuries, the more compensation that you are entitled to receive.

Common Types of Uber and Lyft Accidents We Handle

• Rear ends: Whether you were a passenger or operator of a vehicle that was rear-ended, it is almost always the responsibility of the vehicle that strikes you in the rear
• Left hand turns: Another common car crash scenario we come across are left hand turns. When a vehicle traveling the opposite direction attempts to turn left in front of your vehicle causing a wreck, it is generally entirely their responsibility for failing to yield the right of way. The same is true for when a vehicle exits a parking lot or side street and attempts to turn left in front of you.
• Side swipe accidents: Another very common accident is called a side swipe. When a vehicle traveling next to you either fails to maintain their lane due to some type of distraction or they are simply changing lanes and fail to see your vehicle, the accident is their responsibility.
• Drunk driving accidents: Intoxication is another common cause of motor vehicle accidents. If that intoxication causes the accident, it is the other driver’s fault. For example, a driver is so intoxicated they are unable to drive normally and crash into a telephone poll or tree. However, if the intoxication did not lead to the driver operating in a negligent manner, the incident may not be their responsibility. For example, if a drunk driver is stopped at a red light and you rear end them, the incident will still be your responsibility. The driver will be arrested for DWI. But you would not be able to recover money from them for your injuries because technically you were liable for the crash.

Supplemental Underinsurance For Accidents

If you are either a driver or a passenger of an Uber and are injured by the negligence of another driver that does not have enough insurance to cover your damages you will be able to make a claim against Uber for any uncompensated injures. This is known as a supplemental underinsurance claim. Uber and Lyft provide this insurance to their passengers and drivers during a ride share. However, if the Uber driver is not carrying passengers or headed to a fair, this insurance will typically not apply.

Contact Our Huntington Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Palermo Law always offers a free consultation to review the facts of your incident and injuries. We have seven locations throughout Long Island, including an office in Huntington located at 100 East Carver Street. We can even come to you, if you cannot make it into one of our locations. Contact our Huntington Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer today to get the help you deserve!