Commuters now no longer need to wait in long lines for cabs. Uber and other online commuter apps have provided alternative transportation. Along with the convenience Uber provides to commuters, though, comes the responsibility entailed to drivers in ensuring the safety of their passengers during trips. Uber transportation accidents are serious matters. As such, Uber drivers need to be extra conscientious in ensuring the safety of their passengers all the time.
Accidents involving Uber trips, though, are ultimately unavoidable one way or another. Below are the four most essential issues you need to be aware of in case you are involved in an accident while driving passengers in a vehicle.
1. You will be entailed to pay for the damages covered by the travel insurances of your passengers.
When you drive passengers in your vehicle as an Uber driver, you are the only person who takes charge in ensuring the safety of your passengers, and nobody else. You are accountable for the possible injuries your passengers could sustain in the event of an accident. It does not matter if the accident is your fault or not.
Since the safety of your passengers is ultimately in your hands, you are required to shoulder all the damage covered by the travel insurances of your passengers after the accident. The good news is that if the investigation reveals that the accident was the fault of a third party, then you need only pay a part of the damages covered by the travel insurances of your passengers.
2. You could be suspended from driving for Uber while the investigation of the accident is ongoing.
It is possible that trust given to you by Uber’s management may be questioned following an accident. As such, do not worry if Uber’s management suspends your driving services for some time. You could hire a lawyer to ensure a speedy legal process and investigation. Look for an attorney living within the town or city where the road accident occurred. If you are living in southern California, you should look for a Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles. They could help you regain Uber’s trust and return to driving again.
3. You could be permanently terminated from Uber if the road accident was primarily your fault.
Uber does implement strict policies and guidelines in hiring and retaining its drivers. As such, it is highly likely that you’ll get fired from Uber if the court could prove that you were the one who caused the accident.
But you can still have the chance to overturn the decision of the Uber management. You could ask your lawyer to help you defend your case and review the different laws and regulations governing vehicular accidents within the area.
4. You will need to give details when you narrate the circumstances of the accident to Uber’s insurance company.
Sharing only vague details surrounding the circumstances of the accident would not get you anywhere in proving your case. If you can, use a dashcam so you can record any accident that could happen. A video that records the events could help Uber’s insurance company prove you were not at fault of the accident. If you were partially at fault, sharing complete details as much as possible would also prove that the accident was not entirely your fault.
When you know what the accident involving the driving of a Uber vehicle occurs. Driving for Uber is an excellent source of income. However, being unprepared for possible future accidents may entail you to lose your job as an Uber driver altogether. Keep these essential factors in mind all the time, without missing remembering any of them, and you’ll do just fine.