Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers in Fort Worth, Texas

CALL (800) 863-5312 to speak with Fort Worth Uber and Lyft Injury Lawyers for free

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have grown rapidly over the past several years. Passengers can easily log onto an app and quickly book a ride to their destination. With additional cars on the road in cities like Fort Worth or Dallas and drivers incentivized to deliver passengers quickly, accidents involving rideshare drivers have also increased. Meanwhile, the complexity of these accident claims leaves victims often struggling to pursue compensation without the help of experienced Fort Worth Uber and Lyft injury lawyers.

If you or a loved one were injured in a Fort Worth car accident involving a rideshare driver, call Zinda Law Group today at (800) 863-5312. We will schedule your free consultation with a Fort Worth injury lawyer who can help you determine the best steps to take following your accident. If we are not able to win your case, you will not owe us anything.

Fort Worth car accident statistics

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Fort Worth experienced 12,796 total vehicle crashes in 2020. Of these 2020 crashes, 112 people died in Fort Worth’s 108 fatal accidents, while victims suffered injuries in about 43 percent of accidents. Meanwhile, the top five contributing factors leading to urban car accidents across Texas were:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Changing lanes when unsafe
• Failing to stay in a single lane
• Failing to yield the right-of-way while turning

Common causes of a Fort Worth car accident involving rideshare drivers

Many factors leading to other car crashes are also often responsible for Uber and Lyft accidents in Fort Worth. Further, most rideshare services like Uber and Lyft offer or require little to no training for drivers and do not require any type of driving test. Some of the most common causes of car accidents in Fort Worth involving rideshare drivers include:

Speeding And Reckless Driving

Uber and Lyft pay drivers per ride they give which provides a dangerous incentive for rideshare drivers to drive recklessly. Rideshare drivers may hurry to give as many rides as possible to make more money while endangering themselves, their passengers, and others on the road. These drivers may speed, tailgate other vehicles, unsafely weave in and out of traffic, and drive aggressively to quickly complete rides.. This reckless driving causes many accidents when other cars aren’t driving defensively.

Driving Under The Influence Of Alcohol Or Drugs

Uber and Lyft allow many people in Fort Worth to get home safely after a night out drinking. Using a rideshare service instead of getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a responsible choice. However, some rideshare drivers may engage in drunk driving, risking serious harm to passengers who trusted the driver to get them safely to their destination. Uber or Lyft drivers also sometimes use prescription or illicit drugs to relax or pass time between rides. This can cause these drivers to drive dangerously and potentially cause a crash.

Driving While Fatigued

Rideshare drivers frequently spend several hours at a time behind the wheel. Many drivers work full-time jobs and then drive for the rideshare service after they get off to earn extra cash. Other drivers may drive for one company and switch over to another service, spending long stretches behind the wheel. Fatigue significantly impairs driving ability and can resemble intoxication with these symptoms:

• Slowed brain functioning
• Delayed reflexes
• Inability to focus
• Inability to react to changing road conditions in time

Distracted Driving

Meanwhile, distracted driving is one of the most common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents in Fort Worth. Rideshare drivers often fail to pay proper attention to the roadway because of distractions like accepting new rides on their phone apps, talking to passengers, or using navigation tools on their phone to direct them to their passenger’s destination. Road conditions change in an instant, especially in larger cities like Fort Worth. By failing to pay proper attention to the road, distracted drivers rear-end other vehicles, run red lights or stop signs, or cause other types of accidents that could have been prevented had the driver focused on the road.

How can a Fort Worth injury lawyer help me?

One of the most common mistakes many accident victims make is waiting too long after an accident to contact an attorney. The longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to gather evidence to support your claim. Witnesses may forget key details, evidence such as damaged vehicles or the Uber or Lyft driver’s app information may be harder to obtain, or the legal time frame for filing an injury claim may expire.

Read More: How long can I wait after a car accident to find a lawyer?

Consultation

By contacting Zinda Law Group as soon as possible after your accident, your lawyer will help you take full advantage of the resources, skills, and expertise our team offers. During your free consultation, your Fort Worth Uber accident lawyer will discuss your legal options with you as well as who may be liable for your injuries and damages. During this consultation, your lawyer will also collect any information you have regarding the accident, including:

• How the accident happened
• The weather or road conditions at the time of your accident
• Potential witnesses to the accident
• Whether you took any pictures or videos of the accident scene or vehicles
• Whether you filed an accident report and with which law enforcement agency
• Whether you were a passenger in the rideshare vehicle
• Whether the rideshare driver was actively involved in providing a ride to a passenger if you were in a separate vehicle
• The nature of the injuries you suffered and where you sought medical treatment
• Whether your injuries have forced you to miss any time off from work
• How much income you have lost while out of work
• Whether your injuries have left you unable to work at all or to the same extent as before your accident

After your free consultation, your attorney will explain the next steps for seeking the compensation you may be entitled to for your injuries and damages. Further, your lawyer at Zinda Law Group will handle your injury claim for you so you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.

How Will My Attorney Help Me?

Hiring a Fort Worth Lyft accident lawyer who understands the nuances of claims involving rideshare drivers can be key to successfully pursuing compensation. Each case is unique, with the necessary steps to settle your claim depending on:

• The specific facts and circumstances of your accident
• The availability of evidence
• The willingness of the parties to agree to a reasonable settlement

However, while the individual circumstances of some cases may vary, your Fort Worth personal injury attorney may handle your injury claim by taking steps such as:

• Thoroughly investigating your accident to gather evidence supporting your claim
• Speaking with any witnesses and obtaining information from the relevant rideshare service proving the driver’s status at the time of the accident
• Filing a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent rideshare driver or other drivers who may have caused the accident, as well as Uber or Lyft themselves in some cases, such as for negligent hiring if the company hired a driver with a history of serious traffic accidents or DUIs
• Level the playing field against the insurance companies and their teams of lawyers by preventing insurers from pressuring you to accept unreasonably low settlement offers and demanding the compensation you may be entitled to
• Negotiating with the insurers on your behalf to obtain a reasonable settlement offer
• Hiring any relevant expert witnesses such as an accident reconstruction expert to prove how your accident occurred
• Disproving claims made by the other party or their insurer that your injuries were not caused by the accident or claims attempting to undervalue your claim by disputing the extent of your injuries and their impact on your life
• Being prepared to take your case to trial if necessary

While these steps represent a general overview of the legal process for many injury claims, they also highlight how complex Uber and Lyft injury claims can be in Texas, especially without the assistance of a Fort Worth Lyft accident lawyer handling your case every step of the way.

Who can I sue for my uber or lyft car accident?

If you have been injured in a car accident involving a rideshare vehicle, you can still seek compensation from anyone who caused or may have contributed to causing your accident, similar to any other vehicle collision claim. Your Fort Worth car accident attorney can help you determine who may be liable for your injuries or damages, such as:

The Uber or Lyft Driver

As with any car accident claim, you can generally hold the driver that caused your accident liable for any injuries or damages suffered. If the at-fault driver works for a rideshare service, you can still pursue a claim against the driver if he or she was negligent in causing your accident, such as by running a red light or by driving recklessly. However, in many cases, the at-fault driver alone may not be able to fully compensate you for your injuries and damages.

Rideshare Driver’s Insurance Company

Under Texas law, rideshare drivers are required to maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage that will apply to most accidents caused by the driver.

Uber or Lyft

Seeking compensation from Uber or Lyft will depend upon the driver’s status at the time of the accident. Uber and Lyft each provide liability insurance coverage for the rideshare drivers, passengers, and any third parties who have been injured in covered accidents. However, this coverage will generally only apply if:

• The rideshare driver has already accepted a ride request
• The driver is logged into the app waiting for a ride request

Even if the at-fault driver works for Uber or Lyft, the rideshare service’s insurance coverage will not provide any coverage for accidents if the driver was not actively logged into the service at the time of the accident. In these cases, the driver’s personal insurance coverage will apply. Further, even if the rideshare service’s insurance coverage applies, the amount of coverage will also depend upon the driver’s status at the time of the accident.

If the driver had already accepted a ride request or is transporting a passenger, the rideshare service’s insurance will cover up to $1 million in damages.

If the driver was logged into the app and actively waiting on a ride request but had not yet accepted a ride, the rideshare company’s insurance will only cover up to $50,000 per person up to $100,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage and $25,000 coverage for property damage per accident.

Importantly, this liability insurance coverage serves as a supplement to the driver’s personal insurance coverage. The driver’s insurance will be the primary source of compensation, and the coverage provided by Uber or Lyft will then cover any injuries or damages that exceeded the driver’s personal insurance coverage, up to the applicable limits.

Other Drivers

If another driver was responsible or partially responsible for causing the accident, you can also pursue compensation from that driver and his or her insurance company.

Manufacturers

Finally, some car crashes may be partially or entirely caused by a defective or malfunctioning vehicle part, such as defective brakes that prevent a driver from stopping the vehicle. If your accident was caused partially or entirely by a defective vehicle part, you can seek compensation from the manufacturer that manufactured the defective part as well as the distributor of the part, the vehicle manufacturer itself, and the retailer who sold the vehicle.

Whether the driver’s personal insurance coverage or the coverage provided by Uber or Lyft applies to your accident will depend on the driver’s status at the time of the accident.

Contact our experienced Fort Worth Uber and Lyft Injury lawyers today

Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft offer convenient and often cheaper alternatives to traditional taxicab services. The convenience, flexibility, and more competitive fares these services offer passengers in Fort Worth also come with potential consequences. The increasing use of rideshare services has led to more vehicles on the road and more accidents involving rideshare drivers. Meanwhile, accident victims are left struggling to recover physically, emotionally, and financially. Without the assistance of a Fort Worth car accident attorney, victims face an even tougher uphill climb to recovery.

If you or your loved one were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in Fort Worth, call Zinda Law Group at  (800) 863-5312 as soon as possible to schedule your free consultation with a Fort Worth personal injury attorney. Our attorneys will handle your injury claim for you while allowing you to focus on your physical and emotional recovery from the accident. You will not pay anything unless we win your case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.