CALL (800) 863-5312 to talk to the Zinda Law Group Texas Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers
How you ever used Lyft because you like the convenience of having someone else drive you to the airport so you won’t have to pay sky-high parking garage fees? Zinda Law Group Texas Uber and Lyft injury lawyers enjoy rideshare services occasionally, too, and we know what to do if our driver causes an accident. Do you?
The luxury of having a driver can be nice, until he or she causes an accident. Perhaps you were hit by one. If so, a personal injury lawyer can help you figure out who is at fault for your accident.
Whether it was Uber, Lyft, the car’s manufacturer, or your rideshare driver, you deserve to know who is liable for your injury. If you or a loved one were hurt in a rideshare accident in Texas, call a Zinda Law Group lawyer today at (800) 863-5312 to schedule your free consultation.
Why Rideshare Accident Cases Require Experienced Texas Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers
While Uber and Lyft are the most popular rideshare services, similar services can be contracted by college campuses or cities to help people who do not have a car or who are avoiding intoxicated driving. Uber and Lyft treat their drivers as independent contractors so that the companies do not have to take as much responsibility when their drivers get into crashes.
Rideshares typically are downloadable apps that benefit passengers and drivers. As we mentioned, they can help passengers who do not have a car, do not wish to drive, or are worried about parking at their destination.
Sometimes, passengers use luxury vehicle options within the service in order to arrive in style at prestigious events. The services also allow drivers to use their vehicles to make some money on the side or even full time.
Drivers are not usually limited to where or when they can sign onto the app, and passengers all over the country can enjoy the convenience of the app. The price of an Uber or Lyft ride increases as the demand for rides goes up. This is measured by how many prospective passengers are using the app at a given time.
CASE RESULTS
Requirements to drive for Uber and Lyft in Texas
The requirements that Uber and Lyft place on driving applicants inform us of their duty of care toward drivers and passengers. They can help us understand who is at fault for the accident. For example, if a Lyft driver crashes into a wall because his brakes went out, is it the driver’s fault or is it Lyft’s fault for allowing one of its drivers to use a defective car?
The answer to that question will depend on the facts of your specific case. A personal injury lawyer can help you pin down which party or parties are the appropriate ones to sue.
Rideshare workers typically do not go through extra training. Neither do they have to pass a special kind of skills test or written test. They are therefore no more qualified than the typical driver on the road.
Yet Uber and Lyft have an incentive to hire as many drivers as possible so that there is always at least one available in the area when a passenger opens the app. Nevertheless, Uber and Lyft also have an incentive to keep car wrecks to a minimum, so they have set requirements that applicant drivers must meet.
Requirements to Drive for Uber
requires that applicant drivers:
- have a valid U.S. driver’s license.
- pass the driver screening, including reviews of the driver’s driving record and criminal history.
- provide proof of residency in the city or state of the driver.
- provide proof of insurance for the vehicle the driver plans to drive.
- meet the minimum age to drive in the driver’s city.
- have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the United States or three years of driving experience for those under the age of 25.
- use a smart phone capable of downloading and running the Uber Driver app.
- use a profile photo in which the driver is facing the camera and is the only one in the picture.
- use an eligible 4-door vehicle.
Drivers are not required to drive a particular kind of car, so you may be surprised by the model of car that pulls up to chariot you away.
Read More: After Uber Accident Injury Lawyers
Requirements to Drive for Lyft
Lyft’s requirements are similar to Uber’s. Lyft requires that its drivers:
- have a valid U.S. driver’s license.
- be 25 or older.
- pass the driver screening, including reviews of the driver’s driving record and criminal history.
- display the Lyft emblem somewhere visible on the vehicle while in driver mode.
- use a smartphone capable of downloading and running the Lyft Driver app.
- use an eligible, 4-door vehicle newer than 2008.
What if you want to drive for Lyft but you don’t have an eligible car? No problem! Lyft offers its drivers the opportunity to rent a car through their Express Drive program.
An Example of a rideshare vehicle that Uber encourages drivers to use: the Chevy Bolt
A Chevy Bolt can be a rideshare vehicle for both Uber and Lyft. Even more interestingly, Uber partnered with GM to encourage drivers to buy the Bolt (before recent recalls) by offering special employee discounts and financing options. At first, GM partnered with Lyft, but then it switched to the other popular rideshare company.
GM heavily discounted the car in 2020 and used its partnership with Uber to encourage drivers to switch to the eco-friendly, electric cars. After the employee discount, a driver could buy a new 2020 Bolt EV for around $26,500.
Read More: Austin Personal Injury Lawyer
How automobile recalls affect Texas rideshares
You might be the passenger of an Uber or Lyft ride in a car when something on the car malfunctions. If an accident ensues and you are injured, you deserve compensation for your losses and damages. Should you sue the driver, the rideshare company, or the car’s manufacturer?
There might even be other parties involved that could affect the responsible party in your case. A Texas rideshare attorney can help you determine who might be at fault for the accident. We’ll use the aforementioned Chevy Bolt as an example of what your attorney may look for in his investigation while working on your case.
GM recalled Chevy Bolts with a model year from 2017 to 2022 due to fire hazards. The company first issued the recalls in November 2020, then it expanded those recalls in July 2021 and August 2021. These recalls affect rideshare cases because they complicate the question of who should take responsibility for an accident involving one of these vehicles, including rideshare accidents in Texas.
Possible legal theories in a case involving a defective car part
You might want to know about the legal claims under which you can sue if you were in an Uber or Lyft accident involving a car with defective parts. For starters, a negligence claim is likely appropriate.
Your lawyer may suggest pursuing a negligence claim against the driver or the rideshare company if the parties showed carelessness in driving, hiring the employee, or allowing the employee to use a defective car. If your lawyer thinks you could recover against the car or parts manufacturer for creating a faulty product, then products liability is the right avenue. If it is appropriate under the facts of your case, your attorney might even recommend pursuing both of these routes.
Negligence
Under a claim of negligence, you must be able to prove these four elements:
1. The party you are suing owed you a duty of care.
2. The party you are suing breached the standard of that duty of care.
3. You received an injury for which you can receive compensation.
4. The party you are suing caused your injury.
You might wonder how you could be compensated from the rideshare company because of the negligence of the employee. Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, employers are responsible for the torts that their employees commit while they are working for the employer.
Products Liability
Under a claim of products liability, you must prove that the product was defective when it left the manufacturer and that the defect caused your injury. You do not need to show whether the manufacturer acted negligently or whether the manufacturer intended to cause your injury.
Our Awards
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA BY THE NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (2016-2020)
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA (2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2021), & NEIL SOLOMON (2020-2021)
AWARDED TO JACK ZINDA (2016-2020)
LIFETIME MEMBERS JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA
Can a Zinda Law Group personal injury lawyer near me help with my case?
If you experienced injury after riding in a rideshare vehicle when it was involved in an accident, you deserve to have your injuries compensated by the person or company that caused them. You might still be unsure whether you have a strong enough claim, but you do not want to have regrets when it comes to how you proceeded after the accident.
This is where a free consultation with a Texas personal injury lawyer can inform your decision and allow you to move forward. Our attorneys can give you a rough idea of whether you will be able to recover based on the facts you are able to provide in the consultation.
The legal system can be difficult to navigate by yourself, and having an experienced advocate by your side is like handing the compass and map to a trusted wilderness guide while you ultimately decide which direction to go. A large part of why you can trust Zinda Law Group as your guide is that we offer our clients a No Win, No Fee Guarantee so that they do not pay us unless we win their cases for them.
A Zinda Law Group lawyer can give you the clarity you need. Call (800) 863-5312 to tell your story to a compassionate personal injury attorney. Then, you can allow your attorney to guide you out of the woods of uncertainty and back to your life as it was before the accident.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
Additional Links:
- Amarillo Personal Injury Lawyers
- Arlington Personal Injury Lawyers
- Austin Uber and Lyft Injury Lawyers
- Brownsville
- College Station Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Corpus Christi Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Dallas Uber and Lyft Injury lawyers
- Edinburg
- El Paso Uber and Lyft Injury Lawyers
- Fort Collins Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Fort Worth Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Houston Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Killen Personal Injury Lawyers
- Laredo
- Lubbock Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Midland Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Round Rock Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- San Antonio Uber and Lyft Injury Lawyers
- Temple Rideshare Accident Lawyers
- Waco Rideshare Accident Lawyers
