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What to Do After a Rideshare Accident

March 23, 2022

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have grown in popularity, which often means an increase in accidents involving these vehicles simply because more of them are on the road.

Who will or should pay when someone is injured in a rideshare accident is not always clear, whether you were the driver or a passenger. What you do after an accident involving a rideshare company can make it much easier to get compensation for any injuries you sustain.

Get to Safety

The first thing you should do immediately after any car accident, including one involving a rideshare vehicle, is to get yourself to safety and get the vehicle out of the road if possible. Don't move anyone who is injured and cannot move themselves.

If you were the driver, turn your vehicle's emergency lights on and move it out of the way of traffic if you can. Put up traffic cones or other hazard signals if you have them.

Contact the Police

As soon as everyone has made it to safety, call the police to document the accident. A thorough police report is important whether you're the driver or the passenger, especially if you have damage on the vehicle or people are injured.

Rideshare companies' insurance policies and personal insurance policies usually require a police report before compensation.

Missouri law also requires a police report for any car accident that results in:

· More than $500 worth of damages for any one party

· Any injuries or deaths

· Damage to a parked vehicle while the owner is not present

Document the Scene

Whether you're an Uber or Lyft driver or a passenger in an accident, document the scene of the accident as thoroughly as you can.

If you were the driver, take pictures of your car from all four sides. Take pictures of any other vehicles involved and anything surrounding the scene.

If you have a dashcam, make sure you make a backup of the accident footage. Take a screenshot of your rideshare app to document whether you were on your way to a pickup or you had a passenger in your vehicle at the time of the accident.

If you were the passenger, make sure you take pictures of any visible injuries you have and the accident scene, including any identifying landmarks, skid marks, and vehicle debris.

While documenting vehicle damage as a rideshare passenger is often less important, having pictures of the accident scene can help corroborate information you provide about the accident to insurance companies for compensation.

Make sure to get the insurance information of every driver involved in the accident.

Seek Medical Care

Anyone in a rideshare accident should seek medical care, even if they feel fine and don't think they are injured. Some common vehicle accident injuries can take a while to manifest symptoms, so you might not realize you're injured right away — especially with your adrenaline pumping after an accident.

Visit your doctor, an urgent care clinic, or an emergency room to get a thorough examination so that any injuries you sustained are well documented immediately following the accident.

Contact Insurance Companies

If you're a rideshare driver involved in an accident, you'll need to report the accident to your company, as well as your insurance company. As a passenger, you'll want to contact the insurance company of the at-fault driver to make a claim for any injuries or damages you sustained.

Insurance companies often try to pay as little as possible for injuries, so consult with a personal injury attorney before you agree to accept any settlement or dollar amount an insurance company offers.

Spooner & Perkins Attorneys at Law has served personal injury and workers' compensation clients throughout the Kansas City metro area and rural Missouri for over 55 years. If you've been injured in an accident while you were a passenger in an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare service's vehicle, contact us and schedule a free consultation appointment to go over your options for a personal injury claim.

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