Los Angeles Uber & Lyft Collisions

For many Los Angeles area residents, hailing an Uber or Lyft has become second nature and a part of daily life.

Approximately 4 million people live in and around Los Angeles, and traffic and the stress of finding a parking spot can be maddening. Not to mention, expensive!

This helps explain why Uber and Lyft have become so popular. And while these ridesharing apps have been around for several years, we have been seeing an increase in car crashes involving Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles.

My office has handled a significant amount of Uber and Lyft crashes. I have had cases where passengers inside an Uber ride have been injured by a third-party's negligence--for example--being rear-ended at a red light. I have also handled cases where an Uber or Lyft driver was negligent, causing injuries to my client.

Uber and Lyft are required to carry sufficient insurance coverage. There has been some dispute as to Uber's insurance coverage, but most policies I've seen exceed $1 Million in coverage. This is because Uber has so many cars on the road, they are required to carry commercial coverage.

One issue I have seen several times is the lack of Medical Payments coverage for Uber riders in California. Medical Payments, commonly referred to as "Med-Pay", is when an insurance policy covers an injured person's medical bills up to a certain amount regardless of fault. In my experience, passengers in California are not afforded medical payments coverage by Uber but can submit their medical bills through their own auto insurance policy's medical payments coverage.

Sadly, there have been cases where Uber and Lyft have been sued for wrongful death. One such case from last year, has yet to decide whether ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft can be held liable for wrongful deaths under California's "common carrier" rules, much like taxicabs. You can read more about that important issue.

Riders in Los Angeles should understand that if they are hurt while riding in an Uber or Lyft, options are available. Whether they were hurt as a result of their Uber driver, or as a result of another driver crashing into their Uber ride, an experienced Los Angeles Uber or Lyft accident lawyer can help them with their case.

The Rabbi Lawyer is ready to assist, 24/6.