A rideshare accident attorney in Fanwood, New Jersey, can help those struggling with lost income, medical expenses, and emotional distress after a rideshare accident. Although Uber and Lyft represent convenient modes of transport, rideshare drivers can also endanger the lives of innocent Fanwood residents. Rest assured that you have the right to hold these rideshare companies accountable for the injuries you suffer as a result of a crash involving a rideshare driver – whether you were a passenger in the vehicle at the time or not. Whether you were injured as a passenger, a pedestrian, or a third-party motorist, you could receive considerable compensation for your injuries from the rideshare company involved.
Why Might I Need a Rideshare Accident Attorney in Fanwood?
Nestled in Union County, Fanwood is a borough with about 8,000 people. Known as a “commuter town” of the New York metropolitan area, many Fanwood residents rely on public transportation to reach more urban areas. In fact, the borough was first built thanks to the construction of the Somerville Railroad in 1831. Today, commuters in Fanwood often rely on newer methods of transport, such as rideshare vehicles.
Although rideshare vehicles make life easier for many Fanwood residents, they are involved in car accidents just like any other car or truck. Rideshare drivers are often highly negligent, and that negligence often results in injured pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and rideshare passengers.
When a rideshare accident happens, injured victims have options. They can turn to rideshare accident attorneys in Fanwood for assistance in pursuing fair compensation for their losses. Lawyers can negotiate with major companies like Uber or Lyft as well as their insurance companies. A personal injury lawyer can help accident victims reach a settlement that will allow them fair compensation without going to court.
Why are Rideshare Vehicles So Dangerous?
Like all commercial drivers, rideshare drivers are out on the roads to make money. This means that they violate speed limits and other traffic regulations and commit other acts of negligence in order to maximize the number of rides they can provide and as a result, their profits. Rideshare drivers are also often distracted by their screens, monitoring GPS and the Uber or Lyft apps for notice of their next rides.
Rideshare drivers also pose a danger when they are picking up or dropping off passengers. Sometimes, these drivers drop passengers in extremely unsafe locations. They have been known to eject passengers on the side of busy highways. During pickups and dropoffs, rideshare drivers and their passengers may also endanger cyclists by stopping in the bike lane and opening the car door into the path of a cyclist. This is called “dooring,” and it is often fatal for cyclists.
How Much Compensation Can I Get From a Rideshare Accident Lawsuit?
The compensation an accident victim can receive after an accident depends on his or her damages. First, you should consider the total cost of your medical treatment, including long-term rehabilitative treatment and therapies. Then, you must consider all the money you missed by taking time off work, and any loss of future income you may suffer due to long-term injuries or disabilities. Note that these costs may not be clear until many months have passed. You might need to hold off on accepting any settlement offers until you understand how your injuries might affect the rest of your life. For example, your doctor might give you a 50% chance of walking again after a severe spinal cord injury. Your personal injury attorney will help you assess when you have reached maximum medical recovery, and determine the appropriate amount to seek to cover all of your damages.
Once you have a basic idea of your economic losses, you may consider your “non-economic damages.” These are psychological or emotional burdens victims are forced to endure due to their crashes. Examples include PTSD, depression, anxiety, humiliation, emotional distress, pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. If you feel traumatized by your rideshare accident, you can probably recover additional compensation, with the help of an experienced rideshare accident lawyer.
That said, your compensation also depends on your ability to negotiate effectively. Uber and Lyft may make extremely low settlement offers at first, in the hopes that you will accept them out of desperation. However, you are almost always eligible to receive higher levels of compensation than these initial offers, and your lawyers can help you negotiate a higher sum to help you rebuild your life.
Compensation also depends on your level of fault and the circumstances of the crash. If you were partially responsible for the crash, you can still pursue compensation, but you might receive less in proportion to your level of fault. In addition, Uber or Lyft might try to avoid liability if their driver was not “active” on the app at the time of the crash, meaning they were not transporting a passenger at the time or on their way to pick up a passenger at the time.
Contact Smith & Williams Law Firm, LLC, Today
If you are serious about holding rideshare companies accountable after a car crash, hire a lawyer who has direct experience with these cases. James Bayard Smith, Jr., has been practicing law since 1999, and he has considerable experience negotiating with the world’s largest insurance companies. Daniel J. Williams began practicing law in 2004, and he approaches rideshare accident cases with unique insights due to his extensive experience as an insurance lawyer. These experienced rideshare accident attorneys in Fanwood, New Jersey, can help you pursue compensation for the injuries you suffered due to someone else’s negligence.
