Rideshare accident attorney in Richmond, Kentucky

Remedies injured victims of rideshare accidents can pursue

You may be able to pursue compensation for your damages based on your rideshare accident injuries if:

• You were an Uber or Lyft rider when the collision occurred;

• A rideshare driver hit the vehicle you were riding in; or

• You were a pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a rideshare driver

When we represent an accident victim, we want to ensure they get the financial, physical, and emotional recovery they need. Therefore, we offer support for obtaining necessary medical care and therapy, in addition to filing insurance claims. We help you stay on track to recover to your best life as soon as possible while protecting your from the traps insurance adjusters lay to deny your claim or pay significantly less than they should.

We may be able to seek damages for you if you were hurt in Richmond, Berea, on the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) campus, or elsewhere in Kentucky. We make it easy for our clients by utilizing documents and electronic signature processes which allow you or your injured family member to sign any necessary document we need for representation from your iphone, android phone, or computer.

Recoverable damages in ridesharing accidents

Compensable losses in these claims often include:

• Medical treatment and care costs

• Lost wages and future income loss

• Property damages

• Pain and suffering

• Other intangible losses

If you lost an immediate family member in a ridesharing accident, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death action to help prevent anything like that from happening to someone else. During your free consultation, our Richmond, Kentucky, accident attorney can explain how this process works and the recoverable damages.

How a rideshare accident lawyer in Richmond, KY can help you

Our injury professionals know what it takes to build a case and recover compensation from a rideshare company. We file rideshare accident claims with all liable insurance companies, seeking the payout our client needs to cover their physical care and other financial expenses and losses.

We are serious about the well-being of all people in Kentucky, especially our neighbors in Richmond. So, in addition to providing representation for injured accident victims, we offer many additional resources, including an ebook, Fighting for Justice: Winning Car Insurance “Games,” and an accident notification app you can download today on your iPhone or another mobile device.

If you were in a crash involving an Uber or Lyft, you can expect our injury professionals to provide the following:

Investigating what happened and supporting the claim

To hold the liable parties legally responsible for any crash, we must have evidence that they acted negligently and caused it. We compile the evidence available, take steps to document our client’s injuries and property damage, and take other steps to develop a strong claim. This could include:

• Interviewing witnesses
• Enlisting the help of experts
• Obtaining and analyzing medical records
• Reviewing the crash report filed by responding officers
• Search for relevant video of the wreck
• Survey the accident scene

Unique to a rideshare accident, our Uber accident lawyer in Richmond, Kentucky may also need to identify and protect any evidence that shows the rideshare driver’s status on the app at the time of the crash. Again, this plays a key role in determining which insurance policy is in effect.

Maximizing your health recovery

None of us can know what we don’t know, and if you don’t help injured accident victims every day then there may be a few things you aren’t aware of. For example, if you are referred to a specialist and you don’t schedule the appointment and pursue that treatment then the insurance company will deny your claim or pay you pennies on the dollar of what they should be paying you. This is because Kentucky law requires every injured individual to do everything they can to get better, including following all avenues of recommended treatment. Sometimes a young doctor may not prescribe the right treatment for a trauma injury patient. We keep an eye on your care plan to make sure you are getting the most out of your health recovery. We each only have one life and we want yours to be the best it can be. This means doing more than getting you money, we want to make sure you get back to your best life and best health by assuring your receive the best quality healthcare that the insurance company’s money can buy.

Valuing the damages

We also identify and value our client’s losses and expenses, allowing us to put a fair price on their claim. We know how difficult it can be to miss work and pay for medical care, so we want to ensure they recover a healthy settlement that covers their costs.

We also know how to apply industry standards to value non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment in life, and other intangible damages.

Seeking a healthy settlement or court award

Once we clearly understand the accident’s impact on your life, our Richmond, Kentucky, personal injury lawyer can demand a healthy settlement from the insurance companies involved. Most cases settle without going to trial, but the decision to accept a settlement is entirely up to the client. We handle all communication with the insurer, but our clients make the final decision.

We will, however, offer advice about what fair compensation may look like and advise you when we may need to consider filing suit and taking the case to trial.

Rideshare companies are heavily regulated in Kentucky

Because Kentucky authorities need to ensure all rideshares operate safely and within the established rules for insurance, they require all of these companies to submit a Transportation Network Company Authority Application (TC 95-627) and receive approval, according to 601 KAR 1:113.

By doing so, they agree to follow all Transportation Network Company (TNC) rules and regulations. This includes providing a certain level of auto liability insurance coverage for riders and others hurt or who sustain property damage in a crash caused by their drivers.

In general, there are three possibilities for insurance coverage after a rideshare car accident:

• The driver’s individual auto liability policy is in effect

• The driver’s policy plus a rideshare contingency policy are available

• The rideshare company’s third-party liability policy is primary

It can be challenging to determine who the liable parties are in these cases. This is because the drivers are independent contractors. The principles of respondeat superior do not apply. We cannot automatically hold the ridesharing company legally responsible for a wreck.

However, there are laws in place that legally require ridesharing companies to ensure there is liability coverage available every step of the way. How this works, though, depends on what the driver was doing on the rideshare app at the time of the crash.

Consider this:

• The driver’s insurance would be the only option if they were not signed into the app.

• If the driver was waiting for a ride request, their insurance should pay. However, there is a contingency policy provided by the rideshare company if not

• The rideshare company’s third-party liability coverage is in effect once the driver matches with a rider or has a rider in the car.

The insurance coverages required from the ridesharing company include:

• Bodily injury and property damage coverage

• Third-party liability policy of up to one million ($1,000,000)

• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

• Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage for the driver

What if it was not Uber or Lyft?

Of note, there are other companies approved to operate rideshare-type services in Kentucky, including in Richmond, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. In some cases, these are small businesses. In others, they are operated by a local government agency or municipality. While the TNC rules apply to all of them, this can affect how the claims process works in some cases.

For example, you may have less time to act if you pursue a claim against a community-run rideshare program.

What is the timeline for filing a claim or lawsuit?

Our injury professionals understand that you want to get back on your feet and back to normal as soon as possible after your accident. We will help you meet this goal when possible. However, this requires that you notify us about your case early on. This is also important because there are short deadlines to act under some circumstances.

Personal injuries

Kentucky’s statute of limitations on car accidents, Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 304.39-230, only gives us two years from the accident date or final PIP payment to sue. This date applies to most Uber and Lyft lawsuits.

Wrongful death

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.180 offers one year from the date of death to begin a wrongful death civil suit. However, if the death of your family member or spouse was within two years and occurred during the use of a motor vehicle then there is good Kentucky case law precedent to apply the two year statute of limitations.

Missing any of these deadlines could mean losing the right to sue and recover compensation. In most cases, we will not need to prepare and file a lawsuit because we have developed systems which forced the insurance company to pay a fair amount or violate our Kentucky Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act. However, it is imperative that we do not miss the deadlines and it will benefit your claim to have professional representation involved as soon as possible. We do not want you to lose the opportunity to collect compensation to pay for your medical care, inconvenience, pain and suffering, and other damages.

As long as we know about your rideshare accident claim with enough time to do so, our injury professionals will ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.

Speak to a Richmond rideshare accident lawyer about your legal options today

If you were in a rideshare when it crashed or your vehicle collided with one, the Morrin Law Office will review your case with you for free. We may be able to help you recover medically and pursue compensation to pay your related bills. Our injury firm is ready to assess your options today through video conferencing or on a phone call if you prefer. We are also set up to work with you remotely using your smartphone, tablet, or computer if you prefer.

You can learn more by reading our recent testimonials and connecting with our Uber or Lyft accident attorneys in Richmond, Kentucky for your free consultation today. Call (859) 358-0300.