Technology has changed the way that transport works forever. In the future, it’s likely that driverless cars will become the norm, but even before we get there, we are still seeing the impact of technology in the automation industry.
If you feel like you shouldn’t drive for any reason, you can take out your phone and book an Uber in seconds. It’s so convenient and you can always get a ride quickly because there are so many drivers around.
The reason that there are so many drivers around is that anybody can sign up, as long as they have a valid driving license and a car that is in good condition. That’s great, but how can you vouch for the safety and driving skills of the people driving for Uber? The short answer is, you can’t, and some of them will be bad drivers. This leaves many people wondering what they should do if they get into an accident with an Uber driver. Who is liable for the damage? Do you have to go through a different process to what you normally would? Can you still get compensation? Read on to find out answers to all of these questions.
OFF-DUTY DRIVERS
Uber drivers use their own personal vehicles, which is where a lot of confusion comes from. Are they only considered to be driving for Uber once the passenger gets in the vehicle, for example? We’ll come to that later but for now, let’s discuss what it means when they are off-duty. If the driver is not logged into the Uber app and they do not have it actively running on their phone, they are off-duty and if they are involved in an accident, you deal with it in the same way that you would anybody else. However, as soon as they log into that app, their status changes.
CARRYING A PASSENGER
As you’d expect, the situation changes once the Uber driver is carrying a passenger, and they are covered by $1 million in liability and bodily injury coverage provided by the rideshare company. So, if you are hit by an Uber with a passenger in or you are the passenger and you are injured in an accident, you can absolutely make a claim. Visit 1800injured.care/fort-lauderdale/ to find out more about legal professionals that deal with Uber accidents. It’s a clear cut situation when they are carrying a passenger because they are directly working, but people often get confused about what the situation is if they are on the way to get a passenger or they are searching for fares.
EN ROUTE TO PASSENGERS OR AVAILABLE TO HIRE
As soon as an Uber driver logs into the app and they are able to take on jobs, they have some insurance coverage. However, they only get $100,000 liability and $50,000 bodily injury cover per person. You can visit Allstate Insurance for more information about how bodily injury cover works. Once an Uber driver takes on a job and they are en route to the passenger, their insurance coverage then increases to $1 million.
If you are hit by an Uber driver and they are logged into the app, they are considered to be working and you need to claim against their business insurance rather than their private insurance. But if they are not using the app, even if they are in the same vehicle, the process is just the same as it would be with any other driver.
Photo Credit: Hyundai
