Click to Schedule Your FREE Consultation Today Schedule Now

Morrin Law Office

Rideshare vehicle accident lawyer in Kentucky

Rideshare services were created as an alternative travel method used to combat traffic congestion. It allows workers to commute together in the same vehicle to similar destinations, and it serves as another transportation option for city travelers. However, as major rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft became popular, questions about liability in accidents became prevalent as more cases occurred.

If you or a loved one was injured in a rideshare accident, our legal team at Morrin Law Office wants to review your case and see how we may be able to serve you. Our rideshare vehicle accident lawyer in Kentucky can handle your case and challenge the liable rideshare company so that you may be compensated for your injuries and medical care such as physical therapy or surgery if necessary.

Rideshare companies must apply to operate their services in Kentucky

Per 601 KAR 1:113, rideshare companies that wish to operate in Kentucky must complete and submit a Transportation Network Company Authority Application (TC 95-627) and be approved to provide rideshare services to Kentucky residents and visitors.

To continue operating in Kentucky, they must abide by Transportation Network Company (TNC) laws and provide liability insurance in the event their driver causes an accident that badly injures someone else. Several rideshare companies operate in Kentucky, but certain rules differ due to technological differences.

Uber and Lyft

Uber and Lyft are the most notable examples of rideshare companies in the United States, having gone national and hiring contract drivers to utilize their app services.

Both companies are legally required to provide liability coverage for accidents; however, rideshare drivers are also required to carry their own automobile insurance. This dual coverage is because “app engagement” dictates whose insurance may cover an accident, with the general rules being:

  • If the rideshare driver did not have the company’s app turned on, their personal insurance must cover the accident.
  • If the rideshare driver had the app on and was waiting for a ride request, the rideshare company’s insurance may cover the accident if the driver’s personal insurer does not.
  • If the rideshare driver had the app on and was actively giving a ride to a passenger or picking one up, then the company’s insurance would cover the accident.

Both Uber and Lyft are required to provide bodily injury and property damage coverage as well as:

  • Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
  • Third-party liability coverage up to $1 million
  • Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage

If your accident involves an Uber or Lyft rideshare vehicle, our accident lawyer will review the company’s policy terms to determine how much you may be able to claim in your case.

Local rideshare companies in Kentucky

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet provides a list of other local rideshare services that workers can use in their areas. Depending on the type of rideshare service you used when you got into a vehicle accident, the liable party may involve a private business or a local municipality that funds the rideshare program.

Both parties must abide by TNC laws in Kentucky; however, filing action against a community-run rideshare program may require additional steps, such as filing a “service of notice.”

You may be entitled to compensation as a passenger or a separate driver

If you were a passenger inside a rideshare vehicle that was in an accident, you may be eligible to pursue compensation for your injuries and treatment. However, there are other qualifying individuals who can file a claim, such as:

  • Drivers and occupants inside a separate vehicle that was hit by a rideshare driver
  • Pedestrians who were hit by a rideshare vehicle
  • Bicyclists and motorcyclists who were injured because of a rideshare driver
  • Other road users who were injured in the rideshare accident

Our team of professionals can assess your role in the accident, then help you estimate the value of the case based on your damages, which can be financial, physical, and emotional.

Types of compensable damages from ridesharing accidents

Rideshare accidents fall under personal injury law (also called a “tort”), which gives plaintiffs the opportunity to demand compensation for the following types of damages in Kentucky:

  • Medical care costs, such as costs for emergency treatment or doctor’s appointments
  • Property damage costs, such as costs to repair your vehicle or work laptop
  • Current and future income loss, including any reduction in your earning potential
  • Permanent disability, including hearing or vision loss
  • Pain and suffering, including the increased likelihood of future medical complications and conditions
  • Physical disfigurement, such as a loss of a finger, loss of vision, or a permanent scar on the face or your body

We may consider other damages that diminished your overall quality of life or forced you to undergo significant changes to your lifestyle, such as any permanent condition or symptom that causes you to lose the ability to engage in hobbies at all or without pain, or require expensive home modifications.

If your spouse or child passed away in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, we may also pursue other damages related to their death. Your lawyer can explain what type of wrongful death damages are allowed in Kentucky, which often includes funeral expenses and loss of consortium.

Kentucky’s statute of limitations only gives you a short amount of time to act

In Kentucky, the following statutes of limitations might apply to a rideshare accident case:

  • If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit: In Kentucky, car accident victims only get two years from the date of the accident, or last PIP payment, to settle their claim or file their legal complaint, pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statute § 304.39-230(6).
  • If you are filing against a local municipality: Rev. Stat. § 411.110 mandates that you send a service of notice, which explains your intention to sue, within 90 days of the accident.
  • If you are filing on behalf of a late loved one: Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.180 generally gives you one year from the date of a loved one’s death or the appointment of their estate representative or administrator to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

You must comply with the appropriate legal deadline for your case so that it can be heard in the Kentucky courts. If you fail to file your lawsuit or settle your claim within the timeframe set by the statute of limitations, your case will be dismissed, and you would have lost the opportunity to collect compensation.

As part of our case management services, our dedicated Kentucky rideshare accident lawyer will be aware of your case’s filing deadline and protect your injury claim with the appropriate action.

Call our injury law firm today to start working with a personal injury lawyer in Kentucky

collided with one, the Morrin Law Office can help you fully recover medically and financially by forcing the insurance company to treat your fairly. Our accident attorney is located in Richmond, KY but the Morrin Law Office is a cutting technology injury firm that is setup to work with you remotely through your iPhone or computer and we represent injured victims throughout the entire state of Kentucky.

Call (859) 358-0300 today for a free case evaluation and let’s discuss exactly how we add value to your life and your bank account through our professional representation.