St. Louis Uber Accidents Lawyer

Were you injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in St. Louis, MO? You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injury victims and their families in cases involving traffic accidents for more than 20 years. Call us today at (314) 400-0000.

Rideshare companies offer an alternative to public transit, but accidents involving Uber drivers can become legally complicated. That’s why it’s important to consult with an experienced St. Louis Uber accidents lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.

Contact our law office today for a free case review with a St. Louis personal injury attorney who can help you.

How Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After an Uber Accident in St. Louis

How Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After an Uber Accident in St. Louis

Uber accidents can introduce many complexities into an injury claim, including multiple insurance policies and confusing rules regarding coverage. You deserve a St. Louis injury attorney who has experience navigating complicated rideshare laws and insurance policies and will help you.

Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers has more than two decades of experience representing injury victims in St. Louis, Missouri. Our firm maintains the prestigious AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell rating and a 10.0 Superb AVVO rating. We have also been admitted to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for our dedication to our clients.

When you choose our law firm to represent you, you can trust us to:

  • Offer legal advice, guidance, and support from beginning to end
  • Identify all possible avenues for compensation
  • Investigate your case to gather and preserve evidence
  • Work closely with experts to establish liability, causation, and the severity of your injuries
  • Negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf
  • Protect your rights and fight back against unfair insurance company tactics
  • Present a compelling case to a jury if a fair settlement offer cannot be reached 

You have enough to worry about after a serious accident. Let the award-winning St. Louis Uber accidents attorneys at Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers take over the legal fight for you.

How Common Are Uber Accidents in St. Louis, MO?

In 2017, Governor Greitens signed a new rideshare regulations bill into law. The law allowed rideshare services like Uber and Lyft to operate in the state with few regulations. Under the law, rideshare companies must pay a licensing fee and conduct background checks on drivers. Drivers are also required to carry liability insurance.

However, the law does allow airports to charge drivers the same fees they charge taxis. St. Louis and Kansas City are also allowed to audit drivers. Uber has had a years-long legal fight with the St. Louis Taxicab commission over attempts to operate in the city.

Statistics on the number of Uber and Lyft accidents are not widely available. However, research has shed some light on how common Uber accidents truly are. One important study used data from the NHTSA and found that the rate of fatal collisions increases 2-4% per year in major cities after rideshare companies come to town. This is largely attributed to an increased number of vehicles on the city streets.

The study cautioned that the increase in fatal accidents may cancel out the benefit of reducing the number of drunk driving crashes.

Uber also released a U.S. Safety Report that showed the accident rate per mile for its drivers is around half the national average. The company reported 49 Uber-related deaths in 2017 and 8.2 billion miles driven.

It’s important to note that this report did not include any mention of injury-causing or non-injury accidents. It also narrowly defined “Uber-related” fatal collisions as those in which an Uber driver crashes while with a passenger or on the way to get a rider. Accidents that occur while waiting for a rider or while cruising are not reported.

What Is My Uber Accident Case Worth?

All personal injury cases are unique. Your claim’s value is highly dependent on your individual circumstances. The only way to assess your claim’s value is through a careful investigation of your accident and damages. 

Factors that may affect your claim’s value include:

  • Who was at fault
  • Whether you share blame for the accident
  • The amount of insurance coverage available
  • The type, severity, and permanence of your injuries
  • How your injuries will affect your life in the future
  • Whether you are able to return to work 

Contact Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation today to discuss what your rideshare accident case may be worth.

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?

After a serious Uber accident, you are entitled to recover compensation for your damages from the at-fault party. You may recover economic damages for your financial losses and non-economic losses for the personal losses you suffered. 

You may be entitled to money for your:

  • Property damage
  • Current medical bills
  • Future reasonable medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Disfigurement 

Missouri has a fault-based liability law, which means you must file an injury claim against the at-fault party or their insurance carrier after an accident. Uber accident cases are complicated because of the competing insurances involved. Uber drivers are required to carry liability coverage, but Uber also has a commercial insurance policy that may be available.

The Uber insurance policy is only in effect during certain phases of a driver’s travels, such as when the driver is en route to pick up a rider or has a passenger. This policy offers up to $1 million coverage, but the limit may be lower in some scenarios. If the Uber driver does not have their app turned on and is not with a passenger at the time of a wreck, their personal liability coverage likely applies.

If the Uber driver is at fault, you may be dealing with two insurance companies, both of which may try to shift blame and deny liability. This makes it crucial to consult with an experienced St. Louis Uber accident lawyer to fight for the compensation you are entitled to.

Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for an Uber Accident in Missouri?

Missouri uses a pure comparative negligence doctrine. Under this rule, you can recover compensation even if you are up to 99% to blame for your accident. However, the compensation you recover will be reduced by your share of the blame.

The insurance company uses this system to shift blame onto you or another party. By doing this, they reduce their own liability. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers has decades of experience fighting back against blame-shifting tactics. Let us handle the insurance companies, so you can focus on your recovery.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Uber Accident Injuries

At Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we recognize how severe injuries can be after a crash.

We will fight for the fair compensation you deserve for injuries such as:

Do not let an insurance company minimize the severity of your injuries. Contact our St. Louis personal injury lawyers as soon as possible for help building your claim.

What Causes Most Uber Accidents in St. Louis, Missouri?

Many St. Louis residents and tourists use Uber to get around the city and avoid driving under the influence. While Uber has often advertised its services as safe, the truth is that Uber drivers are independent contractors. They undergo no special training. Uber and Lyft have even been subject to class-action lawsuits and investigations in multiple states over poor driver screening.

Like any other driver, Uber drivers may engage in dangerous or negligent practices. As an Uber passenger, you may also be injured in an accident involving another at-fault driver.

Common factors involved in Uber crashes in St. Louis include:

  • Drunk driving
  • Drowsy driving, which may be more common for Uber drivers who use Uber as a second job or spend too many hours on the road
  • Distracted driving
  • Speeding
  • Failure to yield the right-of-way
  • Running a red light or stop sign
  • Improper lane use or lane change
  • Dangerous left turns 

Uber drivers may be at fault in many scenarios. A driver may be distracted while using the Uber app, fatigued after long hours on the road, or speeding to pick up a rider and start a paid ride. Of course, it is certainly not always the Uber driver at fault for an accident. Other drivers and even pedestrians may be found at fault and liable for your injuries.

How Do I Prove Negligence After an Uber Accident in St. Louis, MO?

To recover compensation following your accident, you will need to prove negligence. This means someone acted (or failed to act) in a way that a reasonable person would have and thereby caused your accident. At Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we will perform an in-depth investigation into your accident to determine how it happened, who was negligent, and who may be held responsible.

Proving negligence requires an evidence-based case that may involve:

  • Uber app data
  • Photos and videos of the scene of the accident and damage to vehicles
  • Surveillance and dash cam footage
  • Witness statements
  • Police report
  • Citations or arrests that arise from the crash
  • Cell phone records if a driver was suspected of being distracted 

We may work with specialists, such as accident reconstruction experts, for expert witness testimony. This can strengthen your claim with testimony regarding how the accident happened and the extent of your damages.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Uber Accident in Missouri?

You have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury lawsuit after a traffic accident. The Missouri statute of limitations for injury claims is five years. If you do not file your case before the deadline, you will be barred from recovering compensation.

This is a long statute of limitations, but do not make the mistake of delaying your claim. Delays can make it challenging to investigate your case and gather evidence. This, in turn, may weaken your claim. Contact an experienced St. Louis rideshare accident attorney to protect your claim.

Contact a St. Louis Uber Accidents Lawyer for a Free Consultation

You should have to face an uphill battle against Uber or its insurance company after an Uber accident. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers will help you pursue the full compensation you need to move forward with your life.

We do not charge attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. So, contact our law office for a free case review with an experienced St. Louis Uber accidents lawyer committed to helping you. 

Our St. Louis personal injury law firm also provides: