Can You Sue Uber if You Were Injured in a Pittsburgh Accident?
With more than 40 million rides per month in the United States, Uber has quickly become one of the country’s most important transportation companies. With all of those rides, it is impossible to maintain a perfect accident record. When a collision occurs in the Pittsburgh area involving an Uber car or another ride-sharing service, victims might face confusion and difficulty when trying to assert their injury claim, but those companies are legally responsible to obtain insurance to pay injury claims.
Under Uber’s insurance policy, each driver working for the company is given $1 million in liability coverage for claims brought by third parties, which can include passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians. A Pennsylvania law passed in 2016 addresses several concerns relating to ride-sharing within the state, including:
- Insurance — Any person driving for a company such as Uber or Lyft must notify their personal auto insurance company that they perform this work. If an accident occurs, their private coverage will not pay the claim, shifting responsibility to the policy for the ride-sharing service.
- Inspections — Cars used by contractors working for transportation network companies must be available for random inspections.
- Vehicle condition — Uber and Lyft cars must be less than 10 years old and meet safety and appearance standards set by the state.
The additional auto insurance covers Uber drivers only when they are logged in to their ride-sharing network, so if you were injured while in another vehicle or as a pedestrian, it is important to determine whether the motorist was operating the vehicle for the company or personal use. An experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney can help you unearth the key evidence and assert your rights.
The McClelland Law Group, P.C. represents Pennsylvanians who have been hurt in vehicle crashes and other personal injury clients. Please call 412-483-1855 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation at our downtown office, located two blocks from the Pittsburgh City-County Building.