Uber and Lyft rank among some of the most convenient rideshare options in South Bend, particularly when Notre Dame fans want to get from hotels to the stadium and back again. That said, not every rideshare driver navigates the road as carefully as they should. You may find yourself in a rideshare accident and unsure of who to hold responsible for your sudden losses.That’s where Vaughan & Vaughan comes in. We can connect you with a rideshare attorney in South Bend who can help you hold the right parties accountable for your losses. Our efforts can also help you secure the financial support you need to pay your accident-related bills. Reach out to our South Bend car accident lawyers today to learn more.
Who’s to Blame After a Rideshare Accident?
Most of the time, evidence determines who you hold financially responsible for a car accident. If you get into an accident with a rideshare, though, matters can change. Contracts can have a significant influence on who you hold accountable for your losses. Moreover, comparative negligence may lay the blame for your accident between multiple parties.South Bend personal injury lawyers can help you assign liability for your recent losses while keeping these complicating factors in check. Blame for your rideshare accident may subsequently go to:
The Driver
Most of today’s rideshare drivers operate as independent contractors. This means that a driver most likely has to assume responsibility for their own behavior on the road. Drivers who aren’t actively using a rideshare app, escorting passengers, or otherwise on duty can independently assume the financial responsibility for your recovery.
The Company
Corporations like Lyft and Uber can assume financial responsibility for your recovery if you have evidence proving that you were hit by an on-duty driver. Corporations tend to assume the blame for your accident only when their drivers:
Actively use their apps
Have passengers in an active rideshare vehicle
Fall under the total protection of the company’s insurance policy
Most rideshare companies prefer to arrange settlement agreements when it becomes clear that they bear the blame for your losses. You can meet with a company’s representative individually, but you can also ask a South Bend rideshare accident attorney to stand with you. Our support makes it harder for a rideshare company to minimize your losses.
An Unrelated Party
There’s always a chance that your accident stemmed from a third party’s bad behavior. This party may be an automotive mechanic who failed to repair the rideshare driver’s car or even another private driver on the road. If you think these parties contributed to your losses, you need to bring forward the hard data to prove that they held some influence over your crash.Our team can help you assign liability to these parties or, in some cases, between a rideshare driver, corporation, and a third party. If you suspect that multiple parties may bear the blame for your crash, let our team know. The sooner we can investigate your losses, the better.
How to Hold the Right Party Accountable for a Rideshare Accident
You won’t have the opportunity to hold any of these parties financially responsible for your recovery if you don’t take legal action against them. Indiana’s civil statutes afford you the right to file a personal injury claim against the party that you can prove engaged in duty-violating negligence.You must bring forward evidence to prove that a party not only owed you a duty of care but also violated that duty through avoidable misconduct. You don’t have to be the one to gather that evidence, though. An experienced lawyer can return to the accident scene and bring forward the different kinds of data that can build a strong case.
Ask for Comprehensive Compensation
It’s in your best interest to argue for maximized accident compensation after a rideshare crash. This means that you should integrate economic and non-economic losses into any personal injury claim you intend to submit to Indiana’s civil judges.The losses that you can most often demand from a liable party can include the following:
Emotional distress
Pain and suffering
Lost wages
Medical bills
Lost chances to return to work
Property damage
Stress
If you have questions about the compensation you need to recover, ask our legal team. We can take every opportunity to help you financially recover from a rideshare accident.
File Your Rideshare Accident Claim Before Time Runs Out
Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4 allows a rideshare accident survivor like you to take no more than two years to file a personal injury claim against the party responsible for your accident. It’s incredibly difficult to file a claim once your statute of limitations expires. If you have any questions about your right to legal action, it’s in your best interest to contact a rideshare accident attorney in South Bend. Your free case evaluation does not commit you to legal action but rather lets you get to know more about what rights you have in the face of someone else’s negligence.
Vaughan & Vaughan Advocates for Survivors Like You
You don’t have to struggle to hold a negligent party accountable after a rideshare accident. The rideshare accident lawyers in South Bend can help untangle the legalities standing between you and the compensation you need to recover. Vaughan & Vaughan brings decades of combined experience helping people like you break down the barriers between them and a fair settlement.If you’re ready to take legal action against an offending party, or if you have questions about your right to a lawsuit, contact our team. We can break down the circumstances that led to your accident and help you determine how to get your life back on track. Our initial case evaluations come free of charge and do not obligate you to go to court.
Exceptional Truck Accident Knowledge
Attorney Charles J. Vaughan is the only lawyer in the State of Indiana to hold a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This distinction provides our clients with a clear advantage in trucking and other commercial vehicle accident cases.
