Missouri Rideshare Car Accident Attorney

Ridesharing Accident

The smart phone has changed our lives. These amazing handheld computers affect the way we do business, how we communicate, how we interact with others, and even the way we travel. Why stand on a street corner and catch a cab when you could just pull out your phone and tap it a few times?

If you’re using one of the popular rideshare programs like Lyft, Uber, or Sidecar, a car will show up in a matter of minutes to take you to your destination. What’s even more appealing is ridesharing is usually much less expensive than a traditional taxi.

Like any business plan built around a new technology, ridesharing has issues involving safety, legality, and liability. If you’ve been injured while riding in a rideshare vehicle or have been in an accident with a rideshare vehicle, you need to consult a St. Louis ridesharing car accident lawyer. The expert attorneys at Page Law have been representing auto accident victims in Missouri and Illinois for more than a decade and a half.

Concerns About Rideshare Safety

Getting into a car with a complete stranger always carries a certain amount of risk. While rideshare companies do background checks on driver applicants, an August Forbes Magazine article raises questions about how accurate these background checks are.

Prosecutors in San Francisco and Los Angeles have filed law suits against Uber claiming that some rideshare drivers are using false names to hide convictions for sex offenses, kidnapping, and even murder. Lyft was in a similar suit last year and settled for $250,000.

Concerns About Rideshare Liability in Missouri

This should be your biggest concern about ridesharing. Rideshare drivers ARE NOT required to carry commercial insurance. Instead, they rely on their personal policies and the rideshare company’s liability policy. This is where ridesharing gets into uncharted waters.

Both Lyft and Uber carry $1 million liability policies to cover their drivers, but they can be limited in scope. In many states, the company’s policy only applies when the driver is transporting a passenger, not when the driver is waiting for a ride request or on the way to pick up a passenger.

Another liability concern is that some personal automobile insurance policies contain language stating that a policy doesn’t apply if the driver is using their vehicle for commercial purposes. If a driver gets into an accident while working for a rideshare company, a driver’s personal insurance may deny coverage.

To fix this, some states have passed laws extending a company’s coverage to whenever the driver is logged onto the rideshare app. Much of these issues have yet to be contested in court.

Legality of Ridesharing in Missouri

Ridesharing has been legalized throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. But there are limitations. Many airports do not allow rideshare drivers to pick up or drop off passengers.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the rideshare phenomenon. You need to protect yourself. If you are involved in an accident with a rideshare vehicle, or injured while using a rideshare service, you need to contact an experienced attorney.

At Page Law, we’ve recovered millions of dollars for auto accident victims. Call our St. Louis car crash attorneys today for a free consultation at (314) 322-8515.