If you suffered an injury or your loved one died in a ridesharing car accident, a Columbus ridesharing accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC may be able to help you recover compensation for your losses.
When someone else causes you to suffer, you should not also have to shoulder the financial burden of the accident. To learn more about how the team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC could be able to help you, call us at (844) 730-0233 for a free consultation on your legal options. We work on contingency, so if you decide to continue your ridesharing accident case with us, you will never owe us anything unless we can obtain a financial settlement for you.
Ohio’s Ridesharing Law
After the transportation network companies Uber and Lyft ballooned in size and importance, many questions arose about the particulars of what to do after a car accident involving these ridesharing services. A ridesharing accident is more complex than a typical car accident because of their commercial nature and the additional involved parties of the ridesharing company, ridesharing driver, and ridesharing passengers. It was unclear whether the ridesharing company’s insurance or the ridesharing driver’s insurance should cover the costs of an accident, especially when the driver was logged into the app but had not picked up a passenger yet.
To clarify this situation and protect all the parties involved, the state of Ohio’s legislature passed House Bill 237. This new law makes it clear that if a ridesharing driver is logged into the ridesharing company’s app, the company’s insurance covers any collisions, regardless of whether there are passengers in the car when the collision occurs.
Ohio’s ridesharing law also outlines required insurance coverage minimums for the rideshare driver’s personal insurance, required insurance coverage minimums for the ridesharing company’s insurance, and requirements to become a rideshare driver, such as background checks and driving records.
Because of this law regarding transportation network companies’ car insurance requirements, you should be protected in the event of a car accident, whether you were the ridesharing driver, another driver, or the ridesharing passenger.
For a free legal consultation with a ridesharing accidents lawyer serving Columbus, call 800-959-1444
Recovering Compensation After a Ridesharing Car Accident in Columbus
Ohio is a “fault” state when it comes to car accidents, which means that whoever caused the accident is responsible for financially compensating the other people involved. Typically, you can recover your losses such as medical bills and property damage costs from a car accident that was not your fault by filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
In the case of a ridesharing car accident, whose insurance you should turn to can be a bit more complicated. You may have to communicate with both the driver’s insurance provider and the transportation network company’s provider. Since insurance companies often try to pay as little as they can to protect their own financial interests, dealing with any insurance claims adjuster can be stressful. However, a Columbus ridesharing accident lawyer can communicate with insurance companies on your behalf and negotiate for you to receive a full and fair settlement for all your losses.
If car insurance does not provide for all your losses, you can also seek compensation by pursuing a civil lawsuit. You may be able to recover more compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit or receive compensation for your loved one’s death by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Comparative Negligence
Whether you choose to seek compensation only through car insurance or through a lawsuit, it is likely that Ohio’s comparative negligence system will affect the amount you can recover. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §2315.33 states that you can still recover damages if you are partially at fault for an accident, but your portion of the damages will be reduced in proportion to your blame for the accident. For example, if you share 15% of the blame for the ridesharing accident and the damages are worth $100,000, you will only receive $850,000.
For this reason, it is essential to prove that the other driver was at fault or mostly at fault for the accident if you hope to receive reimbursement for all your expenses. At Ben Crump Law, PLLC, we can help you by advising you of your legal options, gathering evidence of who was at fault for the accident, and pursuing compensation on your behalf so you can focus on rest and recovery while we take care of all the legwork for you.
Evidence we may collect to help you prove your case includes:
- The police report of the accident.
- Photos of the accident, scene of the accident, and resulting damages.
- Video footage of the accident or the driver’s actions.
- The ridesharing company’s records, to check their compliance with state regulations.
- Vehicle maintenance records.
- Your medical records, to show your injuries and suffering.
Columbus Ridesharing Accident Lawyer Near Me 800-959-1444
Contact Us Now for Help
If you hope to recover compensation for your ridesharing accident through a lawsuit, you will need to act quickly to make sure you file your case within the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for both personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in Ohio is two years, according to ORC §2305.10 and ORC §2125.02.
If you miss this time limit to file your case, you could lose your right to compensation. If you reach out to a Columbus ridesharing accident lawyer, the legal team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC could be able to help you recover damages that include compensation for your:
- Medical bills.
- Property damage.
- Loss of income.
- Pain and suffering.
- Other losses.
Call us at (844) 730-0233 today for your free consultation. At Ben Crump Law, PLLC, we are dedicated to helping people receive the compensation they deserve when others cause them harm. A ridesharing car accident case can be complex, but we do not shy away from tough cases. Since we do not receive payment unless you do, too, you can trust us to do everything we can to help you.
Call or text 800-959-1444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form