Injured in a Ride Sharing Accident (Uber, Lyft) in Las Vegas?
Did you use a ride-sharing service such as Uber and Lyft in Nevada and suffer an injury in a preventable accident? Unfortunately, these types of accidents are quite common in a busy and bustling city like Las Vegas.
If you were harmed in an accident caused by a careless Uber or Lyft driver, or the vehicle you were in was hit by a negligent motorist, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your harms and losses.
Uber and Lyft drivers are regulated in the state of Nevada by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and not the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA), as are taxis, limos and similar commercial carriers.
Nevada law requires that commercial carriers, including ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, carry at least $1.5 million in liability insurance to cover personal injury or death in a car accident. This liability coverage is in effect when the rideshare driver is carrying a passenger for either company.
Driver screening for Uber and Lyft is performed by the companies that drive their own motor vehicles for a fee. The popularity of ride-sharing in Clark County has grown as the price is often lower than taxis. They are especially common in underserved residential areas where taxis often do not go.
Rideshare Driver Vetting
Rideshare companies are often scrutinized for lenient hiring practices. While Uber and Lyft have updated their background checks in recent years, it is still possible for a reckless or otherwise dangerous driver to be hired by either company. In such cases, you may require the services of a Las Vegas car accident attorney.
In addition, Uber accidents in Las Vegas often have the same legal causes of action as in taxi lawsuits:
- Negligence and negligent operation
- Negligence per se
- Vicarious liability
- Respondeat Superior
- Negligent hiring, in some situations
A major distinction for a ride-sharing company in Nevada, compared to a taxi company, is the latter vehicles are owned by the taxi company. Thus, the taxi companies get most of the income from taxi rides, with the taxi driver driving a company vehicle.
Uber and Lyft drivers, on the other hand, usually own their own cars and have private liability insurance. But when they are carrying passengers for the ride sharing company, that company’s insurance coverage is primary.
A key legal issue in Las Vegas and Nevada is whether Lyft or Uber can be sued as the employer in a typical car accident lawsuit where the employer is held liable for the actions of its workers. Nevada has a vicarious liability law. But is the ride-sharing company really an employer. Or, is Uber merely a technology company that offers a connection between a passenger and a driver?
Also, are Uber and Lyft paying the driver or vice versa? These questions are key because each company may argue they are not really ‘the employer,’ and drivers are simply independent contractors.
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Such matters are relevant, especially when one considers whether Lyft or Uber can be held legally liable for sums over $1.5 million in a serious injury or fatal accident. In many of these cases, $1.5 million is insufficient to compensate victims and their families. Thus, a lawsuit that directly connects the ride-sharing firm to the accident is important in a Las Vegas personal injury case.
Injured in an Accident Caused By An Uber or Lyft Ride Sharing Driver? Contact LV Personal Injury Lawyers
Uber and Lyft are very convenient and affordable ways to get around. But if you or a loved one are injured by a ride-sharing driver, you may have serious injuries. From broken bones to head injuries to internal damage, you may have difficulty paying medical bills or earning a living.
The skilled and aggressive attorneys with LV Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help you get compensation for your ride sharing accident injuries. If the driver and the company that employed the driver was negligent, you might be entitled to financial recovery for your harms and losses.
Please contact Zachary D. Clayton or our other Las Vegas personal injury attorneys today for a free, confidential case review.
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