Ridesharing apps are an excellent alternative to traditional taxi-hailing services. It puts different individuals on a relatively similar route in one vehicle, which sounds straightforward at first but has a massive impact on traffic management. Since there are fewer vehicles servicing single passengers, traffic density is much lower and allows for lower products of carbon emissions daily.
While ridesharing is good for the urban ecosystem and environment, that doesn’t mean it’s completely free of risks. One common dilemma when ridesharing is the issue of defining liabilities in the event of an accident. Whether you’re a passenger or driver, it’s important to understand the potential federal or state laws to determine who will be at fault.
The Use of Rideshare Services
Rideshare companies, or ride-hailing companies, give driver-for-hire services to commuters through a self-sustained pool of freelance drivers. Since these individual contractors use and maintain their own vehicles, the company’s overhead costs are reduced to a minimum.
Passengers find drivers through a smartphone app, making it easier for commuters to schedule their day by scheduling their driver’s arrival. Since their location is detectable through GPS, drivers have fewer issues finding passengers and vice-versa. Once a person is dropped off at the location they indicated, payment will be automatically transferred from the app to the driver’s digital wallet.
The Popularity of Rideshare Services
Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are extremely common near cities, but not all Americans are aware of this service. This is primarily because the number of drivers varies from state to state. While rideshare services aren’t naturally problematic, rideshares do receive negative publicity in the gray areas of liability during accidents.
The Risk of Rideshare Services
Rideshare services aren’t any less or more safe than traditional taxis. After all, a vehicle in transit will experience the same risks on the road, whether it’s a private or public vehicle. The cost of considerably cheaper commute costs can still carry risk factors that are more difficult to determine.
If you’re in a rideshare car accident, liability will be complex to determine who will be the at-fault individual. The general rule is that a negligent individual must be eligible for three classifications.
First, the person must have a duty to drive carefully and obey traffic laws. Next, the person must breach that duty by disobeying traffic law. And third, another party must have suffered damages due to that person’s disobedience of traffic law.
You must be capable of proving these three elements before you can have a solid case in court. Additionally, you need to determine local state laws to know who you’ll claim compensation from.
Several states including Florida are no-fault states, which means injured parties need to seek reparations from their own company. This applies regardless of the accident and who’s at fault. Keep this in mind when you’re involved in a car accident.
Conclusion
Like any car accident, finding out who’s liable for reparations is necessary to identify if you’re on the right side of the law. Since you’re putting yourself at risk when subscribing to a rideshare service, you should know your rights to claim compensation when necessary. Since every state’s policies will differ, it’s important to trust a lawyer familiar with state law.
Pressing charges or seeking compensation after a car accident can be tricky without proper legal assistance. To avoid making costly mistakes that can lose your case, it’s important to work with local professionals. If you’re looking for a personal injury attorney in Coral Gables to help you after a rideshare accident, call Dream Team Law today at 1-855-255-TEAM.
