Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer in Houston, Texas

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The global ridesharing market is currently worth approximately $61 billion, and Uber and Lyft make up 99% of the U.S. market. With the rise of rideshare services as a popular means of transportation, it was inevitable there would be a corresponding increase in accidents involving rideshare vehicles. Houston Uber and Lyft injury lawyers at Zinda Law Group are familiar with these types of accidents and are ready to assess the viability of your claim.

If you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle when it was involved in a crash, it is important that you know your rights. When your rideshare turns into a ride to the hospital, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a 100% free consultation. We have advocated for many clients in Houston and would be honored to fight for you, too.

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The Growth of Ridesharing Services

The two most popular ridesharing services in the United States are Uber and Lyft. Founded in March 2009, Uber’s business is essentially to provide mobility as a service. Lyft provides the same service but was founded nine years ago, in June 2012.

As of today, Lyft has around 30% of the rideshare market, whereas Uber has approximately 69%. Uber alone has over 3.8 million drivers worldwide, whereas Lyft has a driver count of roughly 1.5 million. It has been said that these companies are leading the gig economy by their use of private drivers and private vehicles.

Indeed, the ridesharing market has grown exponentially in the last decade, creating a supply and demand for passengers and riders. Many passengers were formerly using taxi services or public transportation as their means of travel before the rise of the ridesharing industry. But the inconveniences of taxi services and public transit left a gap in the market; in stepped Uber and Lyft.

People were tired of having to wave down taxi drivers and wait out in the rain while unsure of when the next city bus would pull up. So, many of them turned to the services provided by Uber and Lyft to avoid these inconveniences. Certainly, it is easier, or at least more convenient to get a ride with a ridesharing service. A few taps on the phone, input your credit card information, and bam! Your chariot awaits you.

However, since people started putting their trust in Uber and Lyft as a means of transportation, things have not always gone so smoothly. Not only have there been times when rides didn’t show up or you couldn’t get a ride because your phone battery life was dwindling, but there have also been many car accidents involving ridesharing vehicles.

When people choose rideshare as their means of transportation, they put their lives into the hands of drivers who may not be fit to perform taxiing services. The result is often injurious, and sometimes completely devastating.

Mobility as a Service

Mobility as a service refers to a value exchange wherein money is given in return for transportation. Both public and private entities provide the service in this industry, but Uber and Lyft services come from private providers. It can be unclear as to who may be liable in the event of a crash. Not to mention, rideshare passengers count on private companies to have properly vetted their drivers.

Private Drivers and Private Vehicles

The beauty and the danger of the service Uber and Lyft provide are that private drivers and private vehicles are their backbones. To this point, the driver and vehicle requirements are not very stringent. Thus the potential for accidents and injuries remains a constant threat to the viability of these companies.

For example, if you are over 25 years old, Uber requires only one year of driving experience. For this reason, it is questionable whether all rideshare drivers are truly capable of providing safe transportation services.

Injuries Seen by Houston Uber and Lyft Injury Lawyers

In a recent study conducted by the University of Chicago, data indicated that app-based rideshare services were associated with a 3% increase in fatalities. Comparing the popularity of rideshare usage and the finances of Lyft and Uber in years 2010–2016, researchers were able to determine a causal link. In analyzing the data, some troubling statistics were revealed.

Perhaps most shocking is that the increased number of rideshare vehicles on the road caused nearly 1,000 daily car accident deaths. The statistics appear to show that to a degree, passengers are not as safe as they might think when traveling in rideshares vehicles.

Specifically, the University of Chicago study showed that 97 fatal crashes involving Uber vehicles between 2017 and 2018 resulted in a total of 107 deaths. Of these crash victims, 21% were drivers, 21% were riders, and the remaining 58% were third-party drivers or passengers.

This data suggests that there is an increased likelihood of experiencing serious injury or death in a rideshare accident. It does not matter whether you are the rideshare passenger, driver, or a third party sharing the road with the rideshare vehicle. Houston Uber accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group are aware of these statistics, and how they impact an accident victim’s claim for compensation.

A Houston personal injury attorney will also know the typical reasons these accidents occur. Additionally, Zinda Law Group has helped clients who have suffered all of the most common injuries associated with car accidents, such as:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Internal bleeding
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord damage
• Laceration
• Sepsis
• Organ failure
• Paralysis
• Loss of limbs
• Back injuries

If you or a loved one experienced one or more of these injuries in a rideshare accident, an Uber or Lyft car accident lawyer from Zinda Law Group is here to assist you. We care about the state of your health, and that includes your family’s financial health. For, we know car accidents are expensive fiscally as well as physically.

We can start working on your behalf after assessing the viability of your claim.  Part of our work will be to determine the cause of the accident. Not only will it give light to the significance of your injuries, but it may also suggest who will ultimately be held liable.

Below are some of the most common causes of accidents involving rideshare services in the Houston metroplex:

• Driving under the influence
• Failure to yield
• Drowsy driving
• Failure to signal
• Road rage
• Following too closely (tailgating)
• Distracted driving

Determining what caused your injuries is important to your personal injury claim. Regardless of whether your Lyft or Uber Houston driver was texting while driving or simply failed to signal, they should be held accountable. All possibilities resulting in the crash can be investigated by a Houston personal injury attorney from Zinda Law Group.

The injuries that occur due to car accidents are often serious and life-threatening. Our Houston Uber accident lawyers and Lyft accident lawyers understand you face many difficulties after the accident. You shouldn’t face them alone; together we can find ways to make your claim as strong as possible.

What to do after being in a HOUSTON rideshare accident

The first thing to do after being in an auto accident in Texas is to seek immediate medical care and attention. The next is always to contact the local police. Some of the other steps might not be so obvious in the context of a rideshare accident.

Protect Your Claim

A rideshare accident is unique in that the injured party will most likely not have a relationship with the rideshare driver. This contrasts with when you are a passenger in a typical car crash, in which the person driving is likely to be someone you know. For this reason, additional steps must be taken to protect the vitality of your claim.

If you’re in a car accident wherein your friend was driving the car, they may feel compelled to apologize to you and accept the blame for the accident. When the person driving the car is a stranger, they most likely will not be willing to accept blame initially. Additionally, they may be more concerned with the state of their vehicle as opposed to the state of their passenger.

Document What the Driver Does

Correspondingly, you should keep track of their behavior after the crash. Likewise, do your best to recall what they were doing before and at the time of the accident. If you are in critical condition and in serious need of medical attention, then that should be your first concern, of course.

But once you are in a stable condition, do your best to jot some notes about what the driver was doing at the time of the accident. To this point, the sooner your notes are drafted to the time the accident occurred, the more reliable they are likely to be.

Both aforementioned actions speak to the need to document the incident. Again, it is important that this not be a primary concern if you have suffered severe injuries. Take care of those first.

However, if you are able to, taking pictures of the accident scene can prove factual claims that you are making. It hence improves the chances of making a recovery. In addition to snapping pictures, try to get statements from witnesses, and keep an eye out for people tampering with objects involved in the crash.

What to look for in a Houston Lyft accident Lawyer

Car accidents involving rideshare vehicles are usually complex. Some of this is due to the fact that the liable party is not always readily ascertainable. After a rideshare accident, you may be asking yourself who the defendant will eventually be.

You might assume that it is the driver of the rideshare vehicle, but the answer is not always so obvious. The driver may not have been properly vetted by Uber or Lyft. In which case, it may be the rideshare company that is ultimately held responsible.

A Lyft car accident lawyer will look to the relationships of the parties involved and go beyond the facts of the incident to determine liability. Due to their training and understanding of car accidents, experienced Lyft injury lawyers know the defendant could be an entity, like a car parts manufacturer. A personal injury attorney can tell you about more parties who could be liable in your case.

It often is the case where a car accident victim consults with an attorney only to later find out that they are inexperienced in this area of law. It is equally as common for people to find attorneys who make big promises and convince them they’re in good hands, only to later ignore phone calls and miss filing deadlines. At the first indication that an attorney conducts themselves in this way, you should look at obtaining other representation.

Be assured that the attorneys at Zinda Law Group have a wide array of expertise and would approach your case with the utmost professionalism. Our group of Lyft accident lawyers and Uber injury attorneys know the Houston area well. We understand that many people have had their confidence in ridesharing shaken.

To be frank, we use these convenient services too, and believe that ridesharing should be a safe experience. Like you, we regret when it is not. That is why it is part of our mission to uphold the level of care that is owed to rideshare passengers, and it is also why we approach all of our clients’ claims with the utmost attention and respect.

Get help from our Houston Uber and Lyft Injury lawyers today

At Zinda Law Group, our experienced team of Houston Uber and focuses on protecting your rights while preparing your case after a rideshare accident. A lawyer from Zinda Law Group can help you and your family pursue maximum compensation for medical bills, property damage, lost income, pain and suffering, and much more.

Car accident injuries can be life-threatening and put you out of commission for a long time. Understandably, you may not be able to fulfill the same level of support you once were after suffering a serious injury. The Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group are all too familiar with this reality.

We know that you may also feel wronged, or that you may be in shock after your life and limbs were put in danger at the hands of another. It is because of our familiarity with these types of cases that we feel confident in our ability to assess your litigation needs. Let us evaluate your case, and we may be able to help you hold the at-fault party accountable.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CASE EVALUATION WITH ZINDA LAW GROUP PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENT LAWYERS TODAY

You needn’t worry about legal fees now, for we offer 100% free consultations, and you will pay nothing unless we achieve a favorable settlement, judgment, or verdict for your injury case. That is our No Win No Fee Guarantee!

If you or a loved one has been victim to a rideshare accident in or near Houston, contact Zinda Law Group today. We can be easily reached at (800) 863-5312, so call and schedule a free consultation with an Uber or Lyft accident lawyer near you. There is no reason to wait.

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.