Uber is a global rideshare phenomenon that has changed the way people think about taxis. In Ohio and throughout the country, Uber is very convenient, but Uber accidents are common and victims are unsure of who is liable for injuries and damages.
The legal complexity surrounding Uber accidents stems from the fact that individual drivers are contracted by the larger corporation without being direct employees.
Uber does not impose strict regulations on drivers, which results in many inept negligent drivers on the road, as well fatigued drivers, intoxicated drivers, and reckless drivers. Lyft and Uber accidents and resulting lawsuits in Ohio have involved both injured passengers, other motorists and pedestrians.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati, Ohio Personal Injury Lawyer accepting cases involving Auto Negligence as well as Lyft and Uber accidents nationwide.
Types of Lyft & Uber Accidents
There can be several factors to consider following Uber accidents, including who is liable for resulting injuries and pain and suffering. Accident claims filed by your Uber Accident Lawyer could span from injured pedestrians to other injured motorists and Uber passengers.
After an accident, it is wise to collect whatever evidence you can, including photos of the accident scene and testimony and statements from drivers and witnesses.
When investigating any vehicle accident claim, experienced auto negligence attorneys may review the Uber driver’s driving and criminal record, insurance records, employer applications, recent driving history, medical records and testimony from everybody affected by the accident.
Many lawsuits have been filed against Lyft or Uber for serious auto accidents and many remain pending in Ohio courts. Complaints filed by your Uber Accident lawyer will likely allege the fault of Uber drivers. As the parent employer, Uber may be liable for accidents and injuries, and settlements to recover funds are likely.
The Lyon Firm has the resources to assist personal injury victims in filing claims following Uber Accidents and lead them through a difficult legal process in Ohio.
Uber Accidents: Who is Liable?
Lyft and Uber have complicated liability matters because of how rideshare companies are legally structured. After any road accident, however, it is possible to file claims and an Uber driver and the company itself may be liable and may settle claims following serious injuries.
Because you may be told that a driver is uninsured, Ohio courts may hold the employer liable in Lyft and Uber accidents as they are ultimately responsible for hiring drivers and conducting background checks. Driver Safety ought to be a priority, though that is not always the case when thousands of drivers are operating in Cincinnati alone.
Lyft and Uber’s business models attempt to avoid liability in accidents, though personal injury lawyers in Ohio are not letting the rideshare companies walk away from accident victims without compensating them first.
Simply calling their drivers “independent contractors” has not convinced judges and juries that they are not liable. Uber and Lyft owe safety to passengers and other motorists, if nothing else.
More safety regulations have been considered in recent years, specifically for protecting consumers and Uber and Lyft passengers. Proper background checks and proof of liability insurance are a good start.
Uber drivers and passengers could be covered by both a personal insurance plan and Uber’s insurance plan. If a driver is carrying an Uber passenger at the time of an accident, Uber’s liability coverage applies. Uber drivers must carry the minimum state-mandated insurance policy.
Uber Driver Fatigue
In a recently released statement, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine warned that driver fatigue and drowsiness are inherent safety risks in the ridesharing industry, plaguing Lyft and Uber drivers who work long hours and are not properly monitored by their companies. Road safety experts, personal injury attorneys and consumer safety advocates have expressed their concerns and suggest ridesharing companies address driver fatigue as a public safety risk.
Despite the popularity of Uber and Lyft, accidents have occurred involving Lyft and Uber driver fatigue, and law enforcement has failed to correct the issue. Ohio safety advocates and victims have filed lawsuits against Uber following auto accidents that cause injury and may be the results of Uber driver fatigue.
A surprising overlooked road safety issue that can lead to driver fatigue is that many Lyft and Uber employees drive as a second job, which may leave too little time for proper rest. Another safety concern is that Lyft and Uber driver fatigue is not monitored by the ridesharing companies as drivers are not regularly screened for medical problems like sleep deprivation conditions.
Some ridesharing companies do require rest periods after spending enough time on the clock, but that doesn’t guarantee road safety by any means. Uber requires drivers to take a six-hour break for every 12 hours of driving time, and Lyft requires a six-hour break for every 14 hours. But that still results in very Fatigued Worker Accidents for many employees.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 2005 and 2009 more than 83,000 auto accidents were related to drowsy driving—representing about 20 percent of crashes with driver fatigue as a known factor.
As drivers build on hours without sleep, the risk of causing an injury is known to increase. Simply two fewer hours of sleep in a night can be akin to driving intoxicated as far as attention span goes.
Ridesharing companies have published safety recommendations for drivers regarding Lyft and Uber driver fatigue. The companies have been in contact with researchers at the National Sleep Foundation to identify drowsy driving behaviors, though Uber is of course a company designed to profit from more time each driver spends behind the wheel.
The companies say they want to reduce accidents, though at what cost? Victims of Uber accidents and Ohio personal injury lawyers hold Uber responsible for negligent operation of a vehicle and urge Lyft and Uber to institute safe rest periods and more limited hours of service.
