The state of Nevada carefully regulates ridesharing (also known as ride-hailing) companies such as Uber and Lyft under Chapter 706A of the Nevada Revised Statutes. When ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft first started, these ridesharing companies were met with both excitement and trepidation. People were excited that ridesharing companies would offer rides at the touch of a button to complete strangers, but they were also uneasy about ridesharing services for fear of being in an accident with an unknown driver in Ridesharing Accidents in Nevada.
Unfortunately, ridesharing accidents in Nevada and across the country seem to be on the rise. While rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft try to keep riders safe by conducting multiple background checks, and ensuring the driving safety record of their drivers, many victims have been involved in tragic Ridesharing Accidents in Nevada. If you suffered any injuries or losses as a result of a ridesharing accident in Nevada, consider visiting with an experienced personal injury attorney at Spartacus Law Firm at (702) 660-1234 to learn more about your legal rights.
Popularity of Ridesharing in the United States
As of 2019, nearly 7 billion ridesharing rides have been taken in the United States. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study in 2019 that shows ridesharing drivers have a lower crash rate than taxi cabs and other commercial vehicles. While ridesharing can be a safe form of transportation, Ridesharing Accidents in Nevada do happen. As a result of more ridesharing drivers and companies on the roads, rideshare drivers are adding to the already congested traffic areas making rideshare accidents more and more common on the roadways. If you have been involved in a ridesharing accident, consider talking with a Las Vegas car accident lawyer at Spartacus Law Firm to have your questions answered regarding all of your legal options.
Uber and Lyft Attempt to Prevent Ridesharing Accidents in Nevada
In an effort to keep rideshare drivers and passengers safe, ridesharing companies have been using a variety of technologies. Uber has a function where the ridesharing driver can rate their rideshare passenger, which could deter some rideshare passengers from getting into a rideshare vehicle if they have a poor rating. Additionally, Uber and Lyft have extensive background checks to ensure that they have only safe drivers operating vehicles for their companies.
Ridesharing Drivers Are Insured
An accident is an accident no matter how it happens. A rideshare driver will still be responsible for any damages incurred by their vehicle in an accident, which are often covered under rideshare insurance policies. Ridesharing services also have insurance policies that cover accidents involving ridesharing drivers while they are on the clock transporting rideshare passengers. Nevada requires that all ridesharing drivers carry liability insurance under NRS 706A.
This type of insurance protects both the Uber ridesharing passenger and the Lyft ridesharing driver in case of an accident during a rideshare ride. Although there are some differences between Uber vs Lyft insurance coverage, generally speaking, rideshares are always insured against accidents that might happen while rideshare drivers transport users using the service.
Therefore, if you are in an accident involving the negligence of a ridesharing driver (either as a passenger or in another vehicle involved in the accident), you will have the legal right to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses.
Steps To Take After a Ridesharing Accident
If you were involved in a ridesharing accident, report it immediately to the rideshare company. Always remember that rideshare drivers are considered independent contractors and if your accident happened with a rideshare vehicle during a period of time in which the driver was not working, rideshare companies do not provide rideshare insurance coverage for incidents that happen between ridesharing trips.
Contact the Police
As soon as possible after the accident, make sure to contact the police in order to receive an official statement. Accidents with ridesharing vehicles should be treated the same as other accidents.
Gather Evidence
Attempt to gather information about the other party’s insurance carrier and give them a copy of your recorded statement. You should also make notes on what happened with dates, times, and descriptions of what occurred at the scene of the accident.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you do not think that your injuries are severe, make sure to visit a doctor or the emergency room to ensure they are properly treated. Seeking medical attention is important for your own health, however, it also provides evidence that your injuries were a direct result of the accident. These medical documents can provide evidence that you deserve compensation as a result of the negligence or carelessness of the ridesharing driver.
Contact Your Insurance Company
If you were in a rideshare accident, contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Your ridesharing company may provide you with a ridesharing injury claim form for you to fill out and send in. If the rideshare company does not provide a ridesharing injury claim form, then you may need to file a claim with your own personal car insurance policy. Insurance companies often use unscrupulous and manipulative tactics that are not in your best interest. For this reason, it is important that you consider visiting with an experienced ridesharing accident attorney to help you understand all of your legal rights and ensure they remain protected.
Statute of Limitations in Ridesharing Accidents
According to Nevada Statute §11.190-(4)(c), As a victim of a ridesharing accident, you only have two years from the date of your accident in Nevada to file a claim in a court of law and receive compensation. Unfortunately, rideshare companies have legal counsel that are fully aware of this and often use manipulative tactics to delay providing victims with the compensation they deserve in the hopes that they will miss the deadline to file their claim in court.
Contact an Experienced Rideshare Accident Attorney
As ridesharing continues to grow in popularity across the country, so does the number of rideshare accidents. This leaves rideshare passengers who have been injured in a rideshare accident, or drivers of other vehicles involved in accidents with ridesharing vehicles with a variety of legal arguments to pursue financial compensation for their injuries.
If you have been involved in a ridesharing accident or any other type of personal injury accident, consider consulting with a rideshare accident lawyer to help protect your interests and fight for the compensation you deserve under the law. Contact our experienced legal team at Spartacus Law Firm today at (702) 660-1234 for a consultation today.
